Identification of Key Odorants in Used Disposable Absorbent Incontinence Products.
Gunnar Hall, Susanne Alenljung, Ulla Forsgren-Brusk
PMID 28328644WHAT IT FOUND
Used incontinence products contained 28 key odor compounds.
Eleven were judged strong or very strong in used products, including dimethyl trisulfide. Unused reference products also had 7 to 11 key odor compounds, so the unused product itself had odor compounds.
Key findings
01The study defined 28 volatile compounds as key odorants, and 11 were judged strong or very strong in at least one used product.
02Each used product had 15 to 23 key odorants, while each unused reference product had 7 to 11.
03Dimethyl trisulfide was among the compounds judged strong or very strong in used products.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 8 products from 8 residents were analyzed, and they were selected from 14 products for noticeable odor variation. Products with no odor or very faint odor were not sampled, so odor-free products are not represented. No medications, diagnoses, urine samples, microbial content, or bacteriuria data were collected, so resident factors cannot be linked to the odors. Only one male resident was included, so gender differences were not investigated. Some volatile compounds, such as ammonia and carboxylic acids, may not have been captured by the sampling method. No clinical outcomes, psychosocial effects, product performance, or odor-control interventions were measured.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the identification of odorants as evidence that a particular incontinence product reduces odor or improves patient comfort. This study analyzed 8 used products selected for noticeable odor and tested no product, care method, or clinical outcome.