-> At 07:37 PM 10/4/96 -0400, you wrote:
-> >Does anyone deal with a bacteria that causes an odor? I went to see
-> a >pulmonary doctor and had a battery of tests performed and what
-> came back was >some kind of bacteria that goes with traches. He said
-> it was nothing serious >but just that it goes with the territory.
-> For me the trache has to be >changed less than every 3 months but I
-> constantly live with an awful odor and >even taste. Not even
-> brushing my teeth and gargling with mouth wash helps. >
-> >Jim Heida Jr.
I have had a bacteria that causes an odor and sometimes a taste.
It's called pseudomonas. It causes a trach to have a "fruity" smell.
It can be rather nasty. Jim's doctor was right about it being a type of
bacteria that goes with traches. If this bacteria isn't controlled or
killed, it can cause a severe infection.
I know from experience that a pseudomonas infection is very
painful. It causes the stoma and the area around it to become very
inflammed. This irritation caused much increased suctioning. It also
cause a fever and aches, similar to flu syptoms. At it's worst,
pseudomonas can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia. It also can spread
upward into the sinuses. The only antibiotic that will kill it is
ciprocore, or simply Cipro.
Neosporin is useful in preventing it from spreading, but not in
killing it. Keeping a trach clean and changing it reqularly (for me
about every 4-6 weeks) is very important. I clean my trach once a day
with a solution of half hydrogen pyroxide, half water. Be careful
to get all green matter or "gunge" off. Then swab the area liberally
with normal saline. This helps to keep the skin around the trach tough
and tight to avoid those annoying little air leaks.
Blane
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