Safety
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2 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8
Smoke evacuators are great
— if they're used effectively
and consistently. We know
that's not always the case.
That's why we developed a
policy that gives our staff
very specific and uniform
guidance on how to use our
smoke evacuators correctly,
when to change the filter and
how to document the
changes that we make. For example, in terms of usage, our policy
states: "The suction wand will be kept as close as possible but no
greater than 2 inches from the source of smoke." It also helps our
surveyors understand how we use our surgical equipment and
shows them how dedicated we are to safety.
Perhaps most important of all, the policy spells out exactly why
we need smoke evacuators in the first place: to protect both our
patients and staff from the dangers of surgical smoke, dangers
that range from lack of visibility and delays during procedures to
increased carbon monoxide levels. Download a copy of our smoke
evacuator policy at
outpatientsurgery.net/resources/forms.
— Joshua Lane, MD, MBA
Dr. Lane (jlane@lanederm.com) and his wife, Tanda N. Lane, MD, own and
operate Lane Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery in Columbus, Ga.
Check Out Our OR Smoke Evacuator Policy
• MAGIC WAND A policy spelling out exactly how close you should keep the
suction wand of your smoke evacuators to the source of the plume ensures con-
sistency — and safety.
CLEARING THE AIR
