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SAFETY
David Vidra, CLPN, WCC, MA
Protect Patients With Piercings
Remove all body jewelry before procedures begin.
S
urgery and piercings don't mix, so your facility's policy on body jewelry
should be straightforward: Patients must have it removed before they arrive
at your facility. Unfortunately, getting them to comply with that hard-and-fast
rule isn't always so simple.
What's the big deal?
Piercings don't pose problems; it's the metals they're made from that could cause
trouble during surgery. If a piercing is made of implant-grade titanium, the likelihood
of its conducting electricity is minute. However, you can't know for certain the quality
of metal used to craft patients' piercings. In fact, I'd approximate that less than 15% of
piercing studios use implant-grade metals, which can live within the body and be
exposed to biological fluids without deteriorating or causing allergic reactions. That
means there's a good bet most modified patients present with piercings made
from cheap metals that increase risk of stray burns during electrosurgery and, in
the event of an emergency, defibrillation. Piercings in the lip or tongue, regardless
of metal quality, can also cause issues during intubation.
Patients with piercings should have them professionally removed before the day of
surgery. Of course, some might forget or opt to keep jewelry in for personal reasons.
Your facility's policy should state that no jewelry is to be worn in the OR. If patients
refuse to remove piercings, have them sign a waiver that indicates they've been told
of the dangers their piercings pose and chose to ignore your warnings. If a patient is
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | D E C E M B E R 2012
