INTRODUCTION: The hazards of surgical smoke are well documented and electrosurgical units (ESUs) are an integral part of surgical practice. The aim of this study was to gauge the opinions of general surgical consultants, specialist registrars and senior theatre nurses in the Wessex Region towards the hazards of ESU smoke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was carried out using Ovid Medline. A questionnaire was sent to 169 consultants, SpRs and nurses in the 14 hospitals across the Wessex Region, exploring current practices, perceived hazards and whether adequate precautions were currently in use. RESULTS: Only 3 of 98 surgeons used dedicated smoke extractors, despite the fact the majority (72%) felt that, currently, inadequate precautions were taken to protect staff and patients from surgical smoke. There was also uncertainty about the hazards amongst the respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The use of smoke extraction equipment is very limited. Greater awareness of the hazards and available technology to extract fumes from the theatre environment might lead to greater uptake.
INTRODUCTION: The hazards of surgical smoke are well documented and electrosurgical units (ESUs) are an integral part of surgical practice. The aim of this study was to gauge the opinions of general surgical consultants, specialist registrars and senior theatre nurses in the Wessex Region towards the hazards of ESU smoke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was carried out using Ovid Medline. A questionnaire was sent to 169 consultants, SpRs and nurses in the 14 hospitals across the Wessex Region, exploring current practices, perceived hazards and whether adequate precautions were currently in use. RESULTS: Only 3 of 98 surgeons used dedicated smoke extractors, despite the fact the majority (72%) felt that, currently, inadequate precautions were taken to protect staff and patients from surgical smoke. There was also uncertainty about the hazards amongst the respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The use of smoke extraction equipment is very limited. Greater awareness of the hazards and available technology to extract fumes from the theatre environment might lead to greater uptake.
Authors: J M Garden; M K O'Banion; L S Shelnitz; K S Pinski; A D Bakus; M E Reichmann; J P Sundberg Journal: JAMA Date: 1988-02-26 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: James Ansell; Neil Warren; Pete Wall; Kim Cocks; Stuart Goddard; Richard Whiston; Michael Stechman; David Scott-Coombes; Jared Torkington Journal: Surg Endosc Date: 2014-02-26 Impact factor: 4.584