Case study: eliminating odors from wounds

Odor is a major problem with some pressure ulcers and other wounds. This article presents a comprehensive list of references and a case study of 13 patients who were treated with one topical product (metronidazole gel) to eliminate odor. All wounds had large amounts of malodorous drainage when initially assessed and had not previously responded to a variety of odor-reducing interventions. A wound care protocol was established using 0.75% topical metronidazole gel applied to the wound surface. Odor was assessed daily for nine days by a scale adapted from Baker and Haig. Malodor associated with each of 13 wounds was decreased following the initial treatment with topical metronidazole.