Nine states are now surgical smoke free!
Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington have all joined the race to a safer environment for the surgical staff.
Additionally, surgical smoke bills have been proposed in New York, New Jersey, Utah, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
Did you know?
The average daily impact of surgical smoke to the OR team is equivalent to inhaling the smoke of 27-30 unfiltered cigarettes! (1)
During surgical procedures, smoke is produced when energy generating devices such as lasers or electrosurgical units also known as cautery are used to stop bleeding or incise tissue. The energy generating devices raise the intracellular temperature to boiling (i.e., 100°C /212°F). At these high temperatures, the tissue vaporizes producing surgical smoke. (2)
How can I protect my staff?
The Laparoshield™ Laparoscopic Smoke Filtration System has been designed to remove viruses, bacteria, particles, and volatile chemicals with high efficiency and is an easy to implement barrier to contamination originating from surgical smoke.
References
- Association of perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN). [Online]. 2022. https://www.aorn.org/government-affairs/policy-agenda/surgical-smoke-free-or.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NIOSH Science Blog. Surgical Smoke Inhalation: Dangerous Consequences for the Surgical Team. [Online]. https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2020/06/18/surgical-smoke/#:~:text=At%20high%20concentrations%20the%20smoke,rooms%20across%20the%20United%20States. [Published: 2020 June 18]. [Accessed: 16 April 2021].
Author bio
Lisa Bellidoro, Global Marketing Manager – Breathing and Cell Therapy
Lisa is part of our Marketing team covering both the Breathing and Cell Therapy industries. With knowledge in Marketing Communications, she brings insightful current industry trends.