The Practical Applications for Removing Smoke Plume Hazards from Your Operating Room

Abstract

Study Objective: The purpose of this educational event is to deliver practical and actionable information on how to implement a surgical smoke plume management protocol in to a facility. A considerable amount of education has been provided on the hazards contained within surgical smoke and although compliance to evacuating this plume is increasing, it still remains too low for many operating room physicians, nurses, and assistants. The presenter will provide an overview of the clinical research that exists on this topic, how it affects the patient and O.R. Staff, and what solutions exist to manage this hazard. Design: Presented as a written and verbal program. Setting: The information provided is applicable to hospitals, outpatient surgery departments, and ambulatory surgery centers. Patients: Healthcare providers in the O.R. are faced with potentially hazardous by-products created when thermal or high speed mechanical energy produced by electrosurgical surgical devices, lasers, ultrasonic surgical devices and other similar techniques are applied to human tissue. Intervention: Practical techniques will be discussed along with a thorough dialogue as to what tools can be utilized to design, maintain, and successfully implement a facility protocol that will minimize the hazardous effects of surgical smoke plume exposure. Measurements and Main Results: Examples will be provided of facilities that are working towards a goal of making their O.R. environment virtually smoke free. The purpose of this study will be to outline the steps that these facilities have taken to construct a program and what new practices and paradigms were explored and utilized. Conclusion: The true success of any shift in practice is sustainable compliance to the program. Protecting healthcare providers, especially over the long term, should be of similar magnitude to other efforts involving exposure from second hand cigarette smoke, asbestos, and various other chemical exposure conditions.