Properly Using Electrosurgery Equipment
The first precaution to take is before purchasing the equipment.Medical personnel
should select new and refurbished electrosurgery tools based on the safety features for the patient and doctor.
Electrosurgery tools are high-risk medical devices, and as such, there are certain guidelines that should be followed when they are in use.Most injuries used to occur at the site of contact with the patient return electrode pad.
To minimize this from occurring, a dispersive pad has been developed to make sure that the electricity is not concentrated in one area long enough to cause a burn to the patient's skin.
The use of ground referenced units should be avoided.Ground referenced units allow the electrical current to take any path to ground to find a way to complete the flow of the current in the circuit.This can be very dangerous, so an isolated generator was introduced to channel and essentially contain the electric current.
The devices should also be assessed to minimize the risk of insulation failure.These injuries can be severe, so electrode monitoring, insulation integrity testers, and indicator shafts were developed to minimize these risks.
There have also been cases when injury has occurred because of unintentional activation of the devices.Audible activation tones were put in the tools so medical personnel are aware when the unit is running.
Before purchasing equipment, a professional should make sure that the electrosurgical accessories are compatible with the main unit.
Problems that may occur with this equipment are patient injury, personnel injury, fire, and electromagnetic interference with other electronic devices.Medical personnel should read instructions and be trained on how to operate the equipment.
Specific and readable operating instructions should be readily available for the machines for users to reference.This will help reduce user error and make for a safer environment.
The electrosurgical unit should be securely mounted on a sturdy cart or shelf.Nothing should be placed on top of the equipment- it is not a shelf itself.
Liquids should not be placed on top or around the unit.Foot pedal accessories should be covered and protected from any liquids as well.
Safety alarms, warning alarms, and activation indicators should be audible and visible to users at all times.This will ensure that users can be aware of any problems that may occur that will cause them to cease use.
The unit should be checked out periodically to make sure that everything is functioning properly.Settings should be set to the operator's preference, and this should be in alignment with the necessary function for the procedure.
The power output setting should be set to the correct output.This is dependent on the patient, the procedure, the generator, and the attached accessories.
The nurse or operator should confirm these setting and ensure they are correct before the procedure.As a rule of thumb, the setting should be set to the lowest power setting needed to achieve the desired tissue effect.
If the user continually requests a higher power setting throughout the procedure, personnel should check the unit and equipment to make sure that everything is connected and running properly.
Medical personnel should clean the eschar from the active electrode with a soft, sterile cleaning tool.Using an abrasive pad may create groves in the stainless steel tip and cause additional buildup during the procedure so it is best to use a non-stick, PTFE coated electrode.
The attending nurse should check patient medical history files to check if they have an existing electronic device in place in the body.These devices may include a pacemaker, defibrillator, or hearing devices.
Electronic devices may affect the use of the electrosurgical unit.If present, patient care interventions may need to take place in order to ensure that the patient is safe during the procedure.
by:Tommy Greene
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