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that while the use of wall suction as a control measure had increased for nearly all procedures, progress in other control measures was mixed, with improvement related to some procedures, no change for most, and a decrease in compliance for a few others. There's no recent data to suggest any dramatic changes have taken place since then.
Gain support
Though the research is clear and the dangers are real, finding the support you need to get the right smoke evacuation products in place can be as challenging as getting a smoker to quit, even if it's just as important.
The best recipe for real change is to make it as easy as possible and to involve key players. Persistence is key. Continually evaluating new products and offering options is important. In almost all instances, there's more than one way to evacuate surgical smoke. And every day we're seeing new products that are streamlined, lighter and smaller and, in the case of ESU pencils, that have tubing that's easier to control.
First, assess whether your current smoke evacuation practices are adequate. Are there gaps with equipment and practices? What equipment and supplies (for
example, filters and tubing) are available to you? If your current approach isn't adequate, you need to enlist physician, administrative and staff support. Remember, education is key.
Since surgeons are likely to wield plenty of influence, it's important to include them in every step as you attack the problem. Show them the proof — the studies that spell out the risks associated with surgical smoke. Ideally, you'll implement a program of smoke evacuation on every surgery that produces smoke, so finding surgeon champions is key.
AORN provides plenty of ammunition with its Surgical Smoke Evacuation Tool Kit (aorn.org/smok etoolk it), which includes educational materials and tips on how to evaluate products and implement evacuation systems.
