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How do I know what brain smells like?

BubblyToesBubblyToes member
in Parenting

On this same trauma rotation, I had a patient come in.  He had huge gauze packs over his eyes, and he smelled terrible.  We're on rounds and the doctor explained that the man had shot himself in the head.  The way he positioned the gun was not going to kill him.  Instead, he literally shot his eyes out.  So then I asked why he smelled so bad.  The attending reminded me that while he didn't have eyes anymore, he still had full use of his ears and could hear me.  :)  The smell was brain.  He said it was the worst smell you will ever smell. 

I knew he was right when I was fortunate enough to have three more self-inflicted GSWs on the same rotation.  

It's like the worst body odor you've ever smelled, times a thousand.

Kill all my demons and my angels might die too. -Tennessee Williams

image
You take my ovaries, I take your yarns.
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Re: How do I know what brain smells like?

  • Halo79RNHalo79RN member
    oh my.. it's true... pts with brain injuries smell AWEFUL.. and there's no amount of bathing or room freshener (not that the hospital stuff is all that good anyway) that covers it... they sweat more and just smell aweful. 
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  • kittycarrkittycarr
    ::jawdrop::
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  • Jodi&JoeJodi&Joe

    ICK!

    And just for shopgirl --- I shoot a gun too!!!  *smooches*

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  • 4Speedy4Speedy member
    Nope, I humbly beg to differ.  I still think cautery is the worst smell ever.  It just about knocked me off my feet the first time I was in the O.R.
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  • camrudecamrude
    I just asked MH what's his worst smell memory and he said hands down a woman who had gangrene of the groin that was a week in the making.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
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  • shopgirl_07shopgirl_07 member
    imageJodi&Joe:

    ICK!

    And just for shopgirl --- I shoot a gun too!!!  *smooches*

    Well, just be careful not to shoot your eyes out. Then you couldn't read all the drama that you love.

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  • Rebekah1021Rebekah1021

    image4Speedy:
    Nope, I humbly beg to differ.  I still think cautery is the worst smell ever.  It just about knocked me off my feet the first time I was in the O.R.

    Ick! to both

    Audrey Elizabeth 11-11-06 image
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  • Jodi&JoeJodi&Joe
    "You'll shoot your eye out!  You'll shhot your eye out!"
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  • DandRDandR

    who knew.....I just figured all body parts (except for the intestines which would smell like poo) smelt like blood....blech. 

    Note to self, don't ever have reason to smell brain...ever....ever.....ever.

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  • Halo79RNHalo79RN member
    cautery is bad... and I have seen someone with gangrene of his nether-regions (it was nasty!)  ... but the worst smell was someone with a fungal meningitis...  basically rotting brain.  it is the worst smell ever. 
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  • Angela814Angela814 member
    image4Speedy:
    Nope, I humbly beg to differ.  I still think cautery is the worst smell ever.  It just about knocked me off my feet the first time I was in the O.R.
    Really? I don't think it's that bad. Maybe that's because only a relatively small incision is used for a pacemaker or ICD. It doesn't smell for all that long.
    Annalise Marie 05.29.06
    Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
    Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
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