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results of this survey are more than 5 years old, and significant improvements in
compliance might have occurred.
There are several factors related to the lack of full compliance. Surgeons and
surgical team members may be unaware of the potential hazards associated
with surgical smoke. Surgeons may not be comfortable using evacuation
devices or changing their operative protocols.
I've spoken with surgical professionals at conferences and have received
plenty of feedback from OR nurses. They're required to spend more time in
the OR than surgeons, are more impacted by surgical smoke and are therefore
more aware of the potential dangers associated with inhaling smoke. Nurses
have indicated that smoke evacuators are only used in the OR if the surgeon
agrees to use them.
The best way to influence change in the OR depends on the culture found at
specific facilities. Although awareness of the dangers of surgical smoke is
improving, collectively all facilities need to work on communicating those dan-
gers to the frontline staff. All members of your surgical team need to be educat-
ed about the potential hazards associated with surgical smoke, as well as the
measures they can take to improve the quality of their own working environ-
ment.
It's important to note that smoke evacuation devices are just the first line of
defense. There are additional steps you can take to minimize exposure to poten-
tial hazards in the OR. Anyone working in the surgical suite during smoke-gener-
ating procedures can protect themselves from particulate matter, dust and
bloodborne pathogens emitted into the air by wearing a surgical N95 respirator.
Surgical masks and laser masks may or may not be made with high filtration
media. However, regardless of media used, these types of masks do not seal to
the face. This allows particulate matter and gases to enter the wearers' breath-
ing zone along the edges of the mask, avoiding the filtration media completely.
Instead of choosing to wear surgical masks, or laser masks, you can choose to
wear a surgical N95 respirator.
