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S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P AT 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 | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4
W
ould you let your surgeons and staff light up a cigarette in
the middle of a procedure? Didn't think so. But surgical
smoke is just as harmful, with research showing that ablat-
ing 1 g of tissue is equivalent to smoking 3 to 6 unfiltered
cigarettes. It's time to kick the surgical smoking habit by
testing your knowledge of the dangers that lurk in the OR air.
Surgical smoke and aerosols
are created by the use of ______.
a.
lasers
c.
electrosurgery
b.
ultrasonic devices
d.
all of the above
S U R G I C A L S M O K E
How Dangerous Is Surgical Smoke?
The foul-smelling plume can cause long-term harm to
staff and surgeons. Brenda Ulmer, RN, MN, CNOR | Snellville, Ga.
BREAK THE HABIT
Surgical smoke is as
harmful to your health
as smoking cigarettes.
