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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 | 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
Answer:
d
For surgeons to achieve hemostasis and tissue dissection during surgery, they
often use heat-producing instruments, including electrosurgery wands, lasers,
ultrasonic devices, and high-speed drills, burrs and saws. The heat from these
devices causes fluid to release from tissue cells in steam form, spewing the cell
contents into the air and into your lungs if you fail to protect yourself.
A chemical found in surgical smoke that has been identi-
fied as a trigger for leukemia, is ________.
a.
acrolein
c.
toluene
b.
benzene
d.
formaldehyde
Answer:
b
Benzene is just one of many harmful chemicals that have been identified in sur-
gical smoke. Because of that, OSHA — along with several other organizations
— sets permissible exposure limits to protect workers from the hazards associ-
ated with inhaling benzene. OSHA's exposure limit is 1 part per million (ppm)
for an 8-hour workday.
Harmful chemicals in surgical smoke aren't just limited to benzene. Studies
have confirmed that the smoke can contain toxic gases and vapors such as
hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, bioaerosols, dead and live cellular material
(including blood fragments), and viruses. In one report, a surgeon who rarely
evacuated the surgical smoke when using a laser to vaporize condyloma devel-
oped laryngeal papillomatosis. A biopsy showed the same type of virus found in
anogenital warts, which are normally found in the throat.
S U R G I C A L S M O K E
