Item
Smelling Salts
Updated:
Fast-acting stimulant to wake fainting patients. Counter for both the Fainting Patient anomaly and the Patient Fainted event.
Overview
Smelling Salts are the revival item for fainting patients. AH documentation associates Smelling Salts with two distinct fainting scenarios: the spontaneous Fainting Patient anomaly (collapse with no preceding trigger) and the Patient Fainted event (collapse triggered by fire/gunshot damage in the waiting area). Both scenarios use the same revival workflow.
The AH JSON marks confidence as 'uncertain' — the revival mechanic is documented but cross-source verification limited. Treat the mechanic as 'likely correct' with the understanding that specific timing or interaction edge cases may not be fully captured in current documentation.
Video Guide
Effect & Mechanics
- Revives fainting patients (anomaly or event)
- Single-use per application
- Counter for Fainting Patient anomaly and Patient Fainted event
- Doesn't prevent fainting — only revives after collapse
When to Use vs Skip
Pros
- ✓ Fainting Patient anomaly (audible thud, prone animation, no preceding trigger)
- ✓ Patient Fainted event (collapse after fire/gunshot in waiting area)
- ✓ Standard revival workflow when a patient is on the floor
Cons
- ✗ Patient is conscious — no revival needed, wrong application risk
- ✗ Patient is the Skinwalker-faking-faint scenario — verify before approaching (Skinwalker can trigger combat on close approach)
At a Glance
At a Glance
- Cost
- 5 Credits
- Type
- treatment
- Available from
- Shift 1
- Uses
- 1 per application
How to Use This Item
Pull Smelling Salts from the Med-cart in the Surgery Room. Approach the fainting patient (confirmed via prone animation and thud audio cue), apply. Patient revives and returns to standard waiting/treatment status.
Discriminator before approach: per the Fainting Patient anomaly entry, verify the patient isn't a Skinwalker faking a faint. The verification step matters because a Skinwalker can trigger combat the moment you get close. If a faint is suspicious (e.g., follows an admit you weren't sure about), verify from a safe distance before committing to the revival.
Distinguishing the two fainting scenarios:
- Spontaneous (no preceding trigger) = Fainting Patient anomaly. Use Smelling Salts as documented, plus verify for anomaly manifestation if patient is left unattended.
- Triggered (after fire/gunshot in waiting area) = Patient Fainted event. Smelling Salts revives; same workflow.
Confidence note: AH source marks entry as 'uncertain'. Cross-source verification limited.
Patch History
No documented balance changes to Smelling Salts mechanics. AH JSON confidence flag is 'uncertain'.
Item Synergies
Frequently Asked Questions
- Revives fainting patients — counter for both the Fainting Patient anomaly and the Patient Fainted event.
- Med-cart in the Surgery Room. Standard cabinet stock at cost 5 (Animal Coins, per AH documentation).
- No — only revives after collapse. Prevention requires different counters (e.g., avoiding fire damage for the Patient Fainted event).
- Documented warning: verify the patient isn't a Skinwalker before approaching. Close approach to a Skinwalker triggers combat. Verify from safe distance if the faint is suspicious.
- Trigger context. Anomaly = no preceding trigger (spontaneous). Event = collapse after fire or gunshot damage in the waiting area. Both use Smelling Salts for revival.
What does Smelling Salts do?
Where do I get Smelling Salts?
Do Smelling Salts prevent fainting?
Can Smelling Salts wake a Skinwalker faking a faint?
How do I tell the Fainting Patient anomaly from the Patient Fainted event?
The revive for the spontaneous-collapse anomaly
Smelling Salts is the documented counter for the Fainting Patient anomaly — the spontaneous-collapse-in-the-waiting-area scenario, not the post-fire / post-gunshot 60-second carry event. The salts wake the patient; you then proceed with standard intake.
This is one of the few cabinet items tied specifically to a legacy anomaly entry rather than a canonical-17 anomaly or a standard condition. The source coverage is confidence: uncertain to match the anomaly entry's own confidence level.
Distinguishing what you're treating
If a patient drops in the waiting area without preceding trauma, Smelling Salts is the documented revive. If a patient drops during or after fire / gunshot / failed check-in, you're looking at the Patient Fainted event instead — that needs a carry to a designated bed within 60 seconds, not Smelling Salts.
The wrong response (carrying when Smelling Salts works, or salts when carry is needed) wastes the response window.
Sources: in-game documentation (legacy entry, confidence: uncertain).