Paper Sample on Surgical Smoke: A Danger to Medics in Operating Theatres

Surgical smoke, a product of surgery equipment is harmful. Mostly, it is obtained during surgeries involving either a laser or any equipment of surgery. Various organizations of professionals identified smoke from surgery procedures as dangerous. However, it continues to be one of the safety hazards in the rooms of operation (Dobie et al. 2017). Medics carrying out operations in a theatre are, in most cases, subject to frequent exposure and at some time inhalation of the smoke. Scholars have proven that smoke is causal to various respiratory-related sicknesses or related medical issues. Though the process of smoke evacuation has been kept constant in almost all medical facilities, several methods are available for use.

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The Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) question remains as, to whether the operational staff has any evidence-based smoke or, whether measures that are standard are always maintained during the procedures of operation. It is essential to increase the knowledge of staff, especially on compliance issues for self-protection from any form of surgical plume (Tan & Russell, 2017). A smoke evacuation team needs to be established and set in place to protect medical staff who carry out procedures in the theatre rooms.

There is a need to make the medical staff know its importance in addition to the need to protect themselves from inhaling such smoke, especially when carrying out the operation(s). The majority of theatre staff take little precautionary measures against the smoke even when it is in their knowledge of its adverse effects (Liyu et al., 2019). Most of the staff maintain complaints related to some health issues such as severe headaches, burning throat, and even coughs resulting from the smoke.

Several highly volatile hydrocarbons are always present in ultrasonic or diathermy, and even in laser-derived smoke originating from surgical equipment(s). A large team from an academic center in medicine was sought to investigate the exposure of the individual staff, to surgical smoke. One of the nursing processes was used to develop a solution to the unavailable smoke evacuators in the theatre rooms (Dobbie et al., 2017). Presentations were provided to staff members in addition to surgeons. Audits were eventually conducted and analyses were made for compliance monitoring.

There exists a significant probability of the presence of carcinogenic compounds in the smoke. These compounds are attributed to causing some detrimental health effects to the staff. It is therefore advised that theatre staff should put in place all protective gear to prevent similar smoke inhalation from rooms of theatre. Surgical masks alone are inadequate for protecting the medical team from inhaling the smoke.

References

Dobbie, M. K., Fezza, M., Kent, M., Lu, J., Saraceni, M. L., & Titone, S. (2017). Operation clean air: implementing a surgical smoke evacuation program. Aorn Journal, 106(6), 502-512. https://aornjournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.aorn.2017.09.011

Liu, Y., Song, Y., Hu, X., Yan, L. & Zhu, X. (2019). Awareness of surgical smoke hazards and enhancement of surgical smoke prevention among the gynecologists. Journal of Cancer, 10(12), 2788. https://www.jcancer.org/v10p2788.htm

Tan, E. & Russell, K. (2017). Surgical plume and its implications: A review of the risk and barriers to a safe workplace. ACORN: Journal of Perioperative Nursing in Australia, 30(4). https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/nursing_article/128/