What action helps address uremic halitosis in end-stage renal disease?

What action helps address uremic halitosis in end-stage renal disease?

• A. Mouth care prior to meals
• B. Increase protein intake
• C. Use lemon-scented mouthwash only
• D. Avoid brushing teeth

Answer: (A)

Uremic halitosis in end-stage renal disease comes from urea in saliva being converted by oral bacteria into ammonia, which has a strong, urine-like odor. Mouth care before meals helps address this by removing plaque and debris and reducing the oral bacterial load right before eating, so less ammonia is produced and less odor is released when you chew and swallow. Increasing protein intake would raise urea production and make the odor worse, while lemon-scented mouthwash alone doesn’t remove the underlying bacterial source or urea, and avoiding brushing would let buildup worsen the odor.

Uremic halitosis in end-stage renal disease comes from urea in saliva being converted by oral bacteria into ammonia, which has a strong, urine-like odor. Mouth care before meals helps address this by removing plaque and debris and reducing the oral bacterial load right before eating, so less ammonia is produced and less odor is released when you chew and swallow. Increasing protein intake would raise urea production and make the odor worse, while lemon-scented mouthwash alone doesn’t remove the underlying bacterial source or urea, and avoiding brushing would let buildup worsen the odor.