ous carcinogens like formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and benzene — a
full day of exposure to surgical smoke carries the same cancer risk as
smoking up to 30 unfiltered cigarettes.
According to a study in the Journal of Hospital Infection, surgical
smoke can spread HIV, hepatitis, HPV and other infections. Moreover,
an estimated 500,000 surgical workers are exposed to these deadly air-
borne toxins on a daily basis. Most disturbing of all: There are no laws
or mandates against the deadly plume in my home state of California.
Standing up
I first heard about the dangers of surgical plume through the
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) as I was
training in the OR. However, as a new graduate, I didn't have the con-
fidence to stand up and question why we allowed it.
But then I became pregnant and realized I was knowingly exposing
my unborn child to toxins known to cause health risks. Many govern-
ing bodies, such as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
(CDC), warn about the risks of smoking while pregnant, but surgical
plume was being overlooked in my OR. Alarmed by the situation, I
decided it was time to do something about it.
Because I was working for Kaiser Permanente San Jose, an organi-
zation that prides itself on preventative care and the health of its
patients and staff, I felt confident we could implement change. Last
September, while 5 months pregnant, I asked my manager if I could
try to make our ORs smoke-free. He quickly obliged, sharing his own
personal story about quitting cigarettes.
I then sought out the help of the local representatives who supply
our hospital's surgical smoke evacuation equipment. They helped re-
educate our staff on surgical plume and shared the new technology
available to us.
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