CLEANER AIR IN THE OPERATING ROOM: THE IMPACT OF SURGICAL PLUME ON HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS

摘要

Most healthcare practioners are well aware of the hazards related to exposure to surgical smoke. What many are not aware of is the hazard of surgical smoke to the patient. There have been many studies that look at the effects and potential effects of exposure to the contents of surgical smoke to healthcare workers as well as many documented cases of primary disease caused by smoke and transfer of disease from patient to caregiver. With increased use of nanotechnology in industry, there has been an increase in the number of studies on the health effects and biokenetics of these nanoparticles on the body. These particles are the same size and have many of the same characteristics as surgical smoke. We will discuss this information and how these studies verify what we know about surgical smoke and how it affects the healthcare worker and the patient, as well as the fetus of pregnant patients undergoing surgery with energy based devices such as lasers. We will also discuss interventions to mitigate these hazards and keep the operating room or procedure room safe, and getting everyone on board in a cost effective, efficient way.