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Outpatient Surgery E-Weekly

Contact Congress Over Drug Shortage Issues

A Kentucky congressman is urging surgical facilities to contact their members of Congress and request that they sign his letter demanding changes to...

N.J. Posts ASC Inspection Reports Online

State and federal inspection reports of New Jersey's ASCs are now available online, giving patients an opportunity to make more informed choices abo...

Are Opioids Necessary?

While it's not always practical, or even possible, to eliminate opioids from your post-op pain management regiment, reducing their use in favor of n...

Archive > December, 2008 Vol. IX, No. 12

Don't Get Burned By Electrosurgery

Device failures and operator errors can pose serious risks to patients. Here are the keys to understanding the dangers of electrosurgery.

Jim Keller

Several years ago, my brother had a minor surgical procedure to remove a small, benign lesion from his back. The nurse practitioner who performed the procedure used an electrosurgical device called a hyfrecator to help control bleeding while removing the lesion. Lying on a hospital stretcher with his arms dangling along the sides, my brother happened to touch the metal frame of the gurney when the nurse practitioner was activating the hyfrecator, and he felt something that nearly caused him to jump off the stretcher. He'd been shocked — technically, he received a burn from the hyfrecator by essentially grounding his arm on the stretcher frame. Luckily he wasn't seriously hurt, but his reaction could have caused a major problem with a more serious or delicate procedure.

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Categories: Safety, Electrosurgery
Keywords:
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