Evaluation of Surgical Smoke Exposure and Awareness of Operating Room Staff

Exposure of Operating Room Staff to Surgical Smoke

Abstract

Operating rooms; In addition to being a unit that includes all surgical units, has a large number of employees and requires the cooperation of different occupational groups, it is a place where advanced technological tools and equipment are used, where many risks coexist and these risks can adversely affect employee health. The instruments used during the surgical procedure cause thermal necrosis, resulting in the breakdown and evaporation of fat and protein in the tissues, resulting in surgical smoke. Surgical smoke, which can be seen and smelled, threatens the health of operating room personnel due to the harmful substances it contains. Operating room workers exposed to surgical smoke; problems such as headache, nausea, vomiting, cough, sore throat, dizziness, eye irritation and tearing, hair odour, sneezing, difficulty breathing, hypoxia, airway inflammation, fatigue or weakness, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, myalgia, cramps and anemia may occur. Despite these problems, studies show that the precautions taken for surgical smoke in operating rooms are not sufficient, therefore in-service trainings will be beneficial to increase individual and institutional awareness. In addition to the central ventilation system and smoke evacuation devices, it is very important to use personal protective equipment in protection from surgical smoke.

This review aims to explain the harm caused by surgical smoke in the operating room environment and the awareness of the operating room workers about the precautions to be taken to prevent this smoke, in the light of the literature.