What’s The Difference Between Electrosurgery and Electrocautery?

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Electrosurgery and electrocautery seem like broadly similar processes, as both involve making use of electrical currents in surgical procedures, and both involve cauterising wounds to limit blood loss.

But despite their similar names, the two processes are actually highly distinct, and each is used to achieve a specific outcome in a surgical setting.

So in this post we’ll explain the difference between electrosurgery and electrocautery by exploring each process, in turn.

What is Electrosurgery?

Electrosurgery involves using an electrical current to cut, remove or destroy tissue while controlling bleeding. Electrosurgical equipment operates at high frequencies. During procedures, electrical currents are passed through an electrode that’s placed on or near the tissue – with the electrical current entering the patient’s body.

Electrosurgery is used to remove abnormal cells in the treatment or prevention of certain cancers. It can also be used to treat other skin conditions, including warts and moles.

What is Electrocautery?

Electrocautery involves using a direct or alternating current to destroy abnormal tissue, such as a tumour or a legion, or to control bleeding in an injury after surgery. The electrical current is used to heat an electrode which is then placed on or near the tissue, with no electrical current passing into the patient’s body.

What’s The Difference Between Electrosurgery and Electrocautery?

In electrosurgery, the electrical current enters the patient’s body. But during electrocautery processes, the current never enters the patient’s body. Electrosurgical equipment is also invariably more elaborate than electrocautery units. Electrocautery equipment can involve small, battery-powered devices. While these are usually reusable, they can also be disposable.

The Risks of Electrosurgery and Electrocautery

In electrosurgery, the patient forms part of the electrical current, so surgical teams will have to take special precautions before the procedure to ensure both staff and patient safety. But in electrocautery, the current flows through an electrode, generating heat instead. The surgeon then uses the direct transfer of heat to burn tissue or cauterise wounds.

However, as both processes involve using electrical currents and heat as part of delicate surgical procedures, both electrosurgery and electrocautery procedures can generate surgical plumes – or surgical smoke.

Surgical smoke can produce an immediate hazard for surgeons through obstructing their view of the surgical site. But a more pressing concern is that surgical plums can contain numerous toxic gases, particulates, viruses, bacteria and other harmful vapours.

One study found that surgical smoke contains acrylonitrile and hydrogen cyanide. These are volatile, colourless, and toxic chemicals that can be absorbed into the lungs through the skin and via the gastrointestinal tract. So exposure to surgical smoke has been linked to eye, nose and throat infections, coughs and nasal congestion, and asthma and asthma-like symptoms, including breathing difficulties.

Managing the Risks of Surgical Plumes

We have a couple of guides on our site to help you understand and manage the risks of surgical smoke:

Our workplace exposure monitoring will help you meet your COSHH obligations anywhere your staff and patients are exposed to hazardous substances in your hospital – such as surgical plumes. Get in touch to talk to an air purification expert today.

We also specialise in air purification in healthcare settings. Our Blueair Health Protect 7440i Air Purifier can completely filter the air in a room of up to 38m² 4.8 times per hour. Its advanced filters can trap and kill up to 99.9% of potentially harmful particles in the air, including viruses, bacteria, and the hazardous chemicals contained in surgical smoke.

 

Surgical Smoke Hazards: Causes and Exposure

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Surgical smoke has a very unpleasant smell, and it can produce an immediate hazard for surgeons through obstructing their view of the surgical site.

But the major risk associated with such procedures is that both diathermy and surgical smoke emissions can contain numerous toxic gases, particulates, viruses, bacteria and other harmful vapours.

Surgical Smoke Causes

Some surgical procedures involve diathermy – the use of heat from an electric current to either cut tissue or seal bleeding vessels. This process can produce certain emissions that are invisible to the naked eye. But thermally destroying tissues by any means, whether it’s through diathermy, lasers, ultrasound, or even high speed drills, can also produce surgical smoke.

Surgical Smoke Exposure

Among numerous potentially harmful substances, one study found that surgical smoke contains acrylonitrile and hydrogen cyanide. These are volatile, colourless, and toxic chemicals that can be absorbed into the lungs through the skin and via the gastrointestinal tract.

Short Term Effects of Surgical Smoke Exposure

Exposure to surgical smoke has been linked to a number of acute health conditions:

Long Term Effects of Surgical Smoke Exposure

The long-term effects of chronic exposure to surgical smoke are still relatively unknown.

You can read more about the dangers of surgical smoke exposure through accessing the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Research Report (RR922): Evidence for exposure and harmful effects of diathermy plumes (surgical smoke).

Managing the Risks of Surgical Smoke

Healthcare professionals around the world have devised recommended practices, guidelines, standards and regulations concerning surgical smoke.

Common best-practice guidelines include:

  • Understanding the risks. All healthcare settings should have procedures in place that address the hazards of surgical smoke.
  • Adequate training. Any practitioner that may be exposed to surgical smoke should receive appropriate training to help them understand the risks and minimise their exposure.
  • Appropriate PPE. As ever, it’s important to choose the right PPE for the right procedure. When performing procedures that might produce surgical smoke, a standard surgical mask may not be adequate. Instead, practitioners should use a properly fitted respirator.

Smoke Evacuation Systems

Healthcare specialists around the world seem to agree that local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is the best defence against the risks of surgical smoke. Though operating theatres are generally well-ventilated, additional air purification systems can help control any excess smoke created by procedures.

The Blueair Health Protect 7440i Air Purifier can completely filter the air in a room of up to 38m² 4.8 times per hour. Its advanced filters can trap and kill up to 99.9% of potentially harmful particles in the air, including viruses, bacteria, and the hazardous chemicals contained in surgical smoke.

As well as supplying specialist air purifiers for healthcare settings, we also offer bespoke air quality monitoring systems. We can monitor your practitioner’s exposure to surgical smoke and other harmful substances, before presenting you with a detailed report complete with actionable recommendations.

Our workplace exposure monitoring will help you meet your COSHH obligations anywhere your staff and patients are exposed to hazardous substances in your hospital. Get in touch to talk to an air purification expert today.

 

Diathermy Smoke Plume Management & Guidance

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What is a Diathermy Smoke Plume?

A diathermy smoke plume – also known as surgical smoke – is an emission created by certain surgical procedures that involve the use of heat to destruct tissue or seal bleeding vessels. Diathermy smoke plumes can contain numerous harmful chemicals, along with viruses, bacteria, and particulate matter.

What Causes Surgical Smoke?

Many devices can produce diathermy smoke plums, including lasers, ultrasonic devices, and high speed drills and burrs.

Diathermy Smoke Exposure

Exposure can lead to viral transmission along with certain acute health conditions, including asthma and asthma-like symptoms. And little is known about the long-term effects of chronic exposure to diathermy smoke plumes.

Read our full guide to the hazards associated with diathermy smoke plumes.

Diathermy Smoke Plume Management

Healthcare providers around the world have devised recommended practices, guidelines, standards and regulations concerning diathermy smoke plumes.

The best defence against smoke plumes is the practitioner. An AORN publication advised that practitioners should “use available tools and knowledge to minimise exposure to surgical smoke. Until there are regulations that reduce the occupational hazard of surgical smoke, become an expert in what can be done.” (Emphasis ours.)

In this post, we’ll explore some of the common best-practice guidelines concerning diathermy smoke plume management.

Electrosurgery Hazard Training and Support

First, all healthcare settings should have procedures in place that address the hazards associated with electrosurgery, including the risks of diathermy smoke plumes.

Also, any practitioner that may work with electrosurgical equipment, or who may be exposed to diathermy smoke plumes, should receive appropriate training to help them understand the risks and minimise their exposure.

Key things to cover in this training include:

  • The different types of electrosurgery equipment – the function and correct use of each, and how to minimise the associated risks.
  • How to rectify simple problems, and avoid risks to other theatre staff.
  • How to store electrosurgical items during procedures when they’re not in use.

Electrosurgical Equipment Storage & Management

There should be specific procedures in place regarding the use, storage and management of electrosurgical equipment.

Staff should be able to tell whether electrosurgical machines are in good order, and whether they’ve been correctly maintained. They should therefore know which checks to make prior to use.

To reduce the risks of smoke plumes and other health hazards, electrosurgical teams should aim to use the lowest power setting possible for safe and effective cutting and coagulation.

Patient Preparation

Practitioners should be familiar with preparing patients for procedures. But there are certain factors that may affect the use of electrosurgery:

  • The patient’s age, weight and fat distribution.
  • Active implants, such as pacemakers. Cardiologist teams may need to perform additional checks before and after the operation.
  • Considerations regarding the return electrode – such as the patient’s allergy to the electrode gel, and the position of the electrode in relation to the patient, the surgical site, and any scars, metal implants or other foreign bodies.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

As is always the case, it’s important to choose the right PPE for the right procedure.

When performing procedures that might produce surgical smoke, a standard surgical mask may not be adequate, as it may not filter out the small particles contained within the diathermy smoke plume.

So instead, practitioners should use a properly fitted facepiece respirator, such as an N95.

It’s important to test the respirator’s seal to ensure a correct fit. A specialist face fit testing service can help you ensure that all members of the electrosurgical team can depend on their respirators to protect them from the harmful effects of diathermy smoke plumes.

Smoke Evacuation Systems

Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is one of the best defences against the risks of surgical smoke. This involves using specialist smoke extraction systems to remove the diathermy smoke plume at source. This, coupled with adequate PPE and a resilient and informed electrosurgical team, will make a huge difference in managing the risks of diathermy smoke plumes in operating theatres.

Operating theatres are generally well-ventilated, with strict regulations advising a set number of air changes per hour. But on top of these advanced air filtration systems, additional air purification units can help control any excess smoke created by procedures.

The Blueair Health Protect 7440i Air Purifier can completely filter the air in a room of up to 38m² the suggested 4.8 times per hour. Its advanced filters can trap and kill up to 99.9% of potentially harmful particles in the air down to 0.1 micron. This includes viruses, bacteria, and the hazardous chemicals contained in diathermy smoke plumes.

As well as supplying specialist air purifiers for healthcare settings, we also offer bespoke air quality monitoring systems. We can monitor your practitioner’s exposure to diathermy smoke plumes, before presenting you with a detailed report complete with actionable recommendations.

Further Guidance

 

How to Choose the Right Hospital-Grade Air Purifier

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For an air purifier to be hospital-grade, it must meet any relevant standards for each specific setting.

Air Purifier Requirements for Hospital Departments

Different areas of the hospital will have different requirements. Some areas will have to meet COSHH obligations concerning exposure to certain hazardous substances. Whereas public spaces may simply need a good supply of clean air to help prevent the spread of infection.

Operating theatres and other clinical areas will have much more substantial requirements. For example, it may be necessary to meet certain standards regarding the number of air changes per hour (ACH).

Questions to Ask When Choosing the Right Hospital-Grade Air Purifier

So there is no off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all solution for air purifiers in hospitals. Instead, for each setting you must consider:

  • How big is the space? All air purifiers will specify how large an area they can effectively clean. Larger spaces will need larger air purifiers, or perhaps even multiple purifiers.
  • Who will be using the space? As we outlined above, different areas of the hospital will have different requirements. For public and communal areas, such as canteens, corridors and waiting rooms, you’ll simply need a reliable supply of clean air to help with infection control. But in clinical areas, you may have to meet specific requirements, or monitor for specific substances.
  • What regulations do I have to meet? Match the air purifier’s specifications to whichever legislation or regulations apply to each setting. You’ll have to meet certain COSHH obligations in some areas of your hospital. In other areas, you may have to meet guidelines for the number of air changes per hour (ACH).
  • What sort of HVAC system am I working with? In hospitals and other healthcare settings, air purifiers are but one part of a wider heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) solution. The air purifier you choose must integrate with, or else complement, the existing system. You can read our full guide to air filtration systems in hospitals.

Examples of Hospital-Grade Air Purifiers

We specifically designed our range of HealthProtect air purifiers for hospitals and other healthcare settings. They use a series of advanced systems to provide 24/7 removal of viruses and bacteria, while quietly filtering the air to clean it for better infection prevention and control.

The Blueair HealthProtect 7740i air purifier is available in a choice of two sizes – one can filter the air in rooms up to 38m², while the larger model can filter the air in rooms up to 62m². Each model can deliver complete room filtration ever 12.5 minutes, as per industry recommendations. And each is capable of trapping and killing 99% of viruses and bacteria while removing dust, pollen, dander, mould, VOCs, and odours.

Need some guidance on choosing the right air purifier for your hospital? Get in touch to talk to our friendly team of expert air purification consultants.

We also offer bespoke air quality monitoring services. This involves monitoring staff and patient exposure levels to harmful substances, such as Entonox, sevoflurane, isoflurane, and inhalable and respirable dust. Learn more about our exposure monitoring services, and get in touch for a free quote today.

Smoking Outside Hospitals: Bans, Laws & Guidelines

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In March 2022, Scotland banned smoking outside hospital buildings.

Smoking Ban Outside Hospital Rules in Scotland

The new legislation aims to achieve the following:

  • To introduce an enforceable smoke-free perimeter of 15 metres outside of hospital buildings.
  • To support the denormalisation of smoking on hospital grounds. This, in turn, should help reduce tobacco use across the population.
  • To reinforce the NHS’s position as “an exemplar of health promotion within society”.
  • To support people in their efforts to stop smoking.

A secondary aim of the legislation is to prevent and reduce hospital staff and patients’ exposure to second-hand smoke at entrances, and near windows and vents.

The policy became law in September 2022. Now, anyone caught smoking within 15 metres of a hospital building in Scotland could be fined up to £1,000.

Smoking Outside Hospitals Rules Across the UK?

Scotland was not the first UK home nation to ban smoking outside hospitals. Northern Ireland banned smoking on the grounds of any hospital in 2016. However, the law allows for designated smoking rooms “with strict conditions” in care homes and hospices.

Wales introduced legislation in March 2021 requiring all hospital grounds to be smoke-free, with £100 fines for anyone found breaking the law.

England is yet to see an enforceable blanket ban on smoking outside hospitals. However, a 2019 Public Health England (PHE) report found that 69% of NHS trusts in England have banned smoking completely. So it may only be a matter of time before England joins the rest of the UK in outright banning smoking outside hospitals.

How to Improve Air Quality in and Around Hospitals

A recent report found that 25% of UK hospitals are situated in areas with dangerously high levels of air pollution. Improving air quality is a question of reducing the levels of pollutants and other hazardous substances in the atmosphere.

Preventing staff, patients and other visitors from smoking within a certain radius of a hospital can make a positive difference to air quality, as it makes it effectively impossible for harmful second-hand smoke to enter the hospital’s air via doors, windows or vents.

But this is just one strategy by which hospitals can improve the air quality on their premises:

  • Strict speed limits – Where possible, hospitals should aim to limit the amount of traffic allowed onsite. But as this may not be practical, they should instead enforce strict speed limits for all onsite traffic. The faster a vehicle travels, the more fuel it burns, and the more harmful emissions it creates. Read our full guide to how speed limits can make a difference to air quality.
  • Air quality consultations – Specialist air quality consultants can test the air quality in key locations in and around the hospital. As well as measuring for air pollution levels in public areas of the hospital, they can also test for staff and patient exposure to potentially harmful substances in clinical settings. Read our full guide to how air quality consultants can help reduce air pollution.
  • Air filtration and purification – Hospitals can use an advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, along with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to regulate airflow and improve air quality through removing viruses, bacteria, and other harmful substances from the atmosphere. Read our full guide to effective air filtration in healthcare settings.

Need a reliable air purification system for your hospital? Take a look at our advanced range of HealthProtect air purifiers for healthcare settings.

Book An Air Quality Consultation For Your Hospital

Unless you’re one of the few remaining NHS trusts in England who still allow for smoking outside hospitals, it’s very likely that your healthcare setting is already benefiting from a reduction in harmful second-hand smoke.

However, even with a smoking ban in place, your hospital may still be at risk from air pollution – particularly if you’re situated near a major road. On top of this, to meet your COSHH obligations, you also need to monitor your staff and patients’ exposure to certain hazardous substances within your hospital.

We offer specialist air quality monitoring for healthcare settings. Our consultants employ both continuous monitoring and personal sampling techniques to demonstrate how pollutant levels in your atmosphere vary over a specified period. As a result, we can produce comprehensive reports based on our findings, including actionable recommendations to help you make a positive difference to your onsite air quality.

Find out more about our Air Quality Monitoring Services or get in touch to talk to one of our experts.

What is PM2.5 And Why is it a Risk to Hospital Patients?

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Air pollution and quality is a key concern for everyone, particularly in hospitals and healthcare settings where people can spend long periods of time or be clinically vulnerable.

What is PM2.5?

PM2.5 is a hazardous air pollutant. It is composed of particulate matter (PM) that has an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometres or smaller.

Where Does PM2.5 Come From?

There are many possible sources of PM2.5. Natural particles such as pollen and sea spray are both examples of potentially hazardous particulate matter. But human activity can create the most harmful forms of particulate matter. Wood burning, industrial and agricultural processes, manufacturing, and road traffic can increase the concentration of PM2.5 in the atmosphere.

The Health Risks of PM2.5

As these particles are so small, PM2.5 is invisible to the naked eye. But when inhaled, PM2.5 particles are small enough to pass through the lungs and enter your bloodstream. And once these particles are in your bloodstream, they may make their way to your heart, brain, and other organs.

Long-Term Exposure to PM2.5

This is why prolonged exposure to PM2.5 can result in serious illness. It is particularly hazardous for children, elderly people, and people with allergies and respiratory problems. Inhaling particulate matter can make existing conditions worse. But in the long-term, exposure can lead to the development of serious lung conditions.

Toxic Air at the Door of the NHS

The World Health Organisation (WHO) advises a maximum concentration of PM2.5 of 10μg/m3 for the annual average.

A recent report by Asthma + Lung UK found that more than 2,000 UK health centres are located in areas where PM2.5 levels are in excess of the WHO’s limit.

The report, Toxic Air at the Door of the NHS, found that 2,220 GP practices and 248 hospitals are located in areas where the concentration of PM2.5 is above 10μg/m3 for the annual average. This accounts for 1 in 3 GP surgeries and 1 in 4 hospitals in England.

If you’d like to know if your health centre is in an affected area, check our guide to the best and worst places in the UK for air pollution.

Why is PM2.5 a Risk to Hospital Patients?

PM2.5 poses a health risk for anyone. But it’s particularly hazardous for hospital patients, as many of them will already be in a vulnerable state. Air pollution can make existing conditions worse. It could even cause patients to develop additional, and potentially more serious, conditions than those for which they are undergoing treatment. (Do you have a source for to underpin this fact? If so, please reference this in the copy. If not, please just remove the sentence for now).

According to one study, over 20,200 respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions each year can be linked to air pollution.

And PM2.5 is not just a risk for hospital patients. It is also a risk for hospital staff. As they will be spending more time onsite than anyone, they could potentially get exposed to much higher levels of PM2.5. Over time, they may develop serious health conditions as a result.

How to Reduce PM2.5 Concentrations at Your Hospital

The current UK legal limits for PM2.5 concentration is almost double the WHO’s recommended limits. In the long-term, new legislation could help the whole country address this air pollution problem. But there are a number of initiatives that can help you make a significant difference in the short-term too:

Advanced Air Filtration for Hospitals and Other Healthcare Settings

Our Blueair HealthProtectTM  air purifiers are fitted with advanced HEPASilent technology. This is capable of catching 99.97% of particles down to 0.1 microns, including PM2.5 fine air particles, as well as VOCs, dust, mould, and up to 99% of viruses and bacteria.

Take a look at our complete range of specialist air purification systems for hospitals.

 

 

University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation Birmingham 2022

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University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation takes place at Cranmore Park, Birmingham, 15-16 November 2022.

It’s an opportunity for the estates directors of healthcare and higher education settings to come together for an open discussion of best-practice.

This year, the conference theme is New Horizons. The various presentations and exhibitors will be focusing on the three E’s:

  • Efficiency
  • Environmental
  • Experience

University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation Birmingham 2022 – Conference Programme

At Cairn Technology, we’re committed to helping hospital maintain healthy environments for staff and patients alike. So below we’ve highlighted our pick of the must-see presentations from the University & Healthcare Estates and Innovation Birmingham 2022 conference programme.

Day 1

  • 05 – 9.35 – The Post Pandemic Estate – Delivering Efficiencies
  • 10 – 12.45 – Service Transformation and Making Things Happen on Day 1
  • 50 – 15.50 – From Concept to Completion: Water Safety Compliance and Control
  • 25 – 16.55 – The Health Facility Briefing System

Day 2

  • 00 – 10.20 – Brave New World: New Working Patterns and Methods
  • 25 – 12.20 – Discussion with Fiona Daly, National Deputy Director of Estates, NHS England; Gareth Thompson, Sustainability Clinical and Innovation Lead, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; and Claire Hennessy, Estates & Facilities Director, Birmingham Community Healthcare.
  • 35 – 15.25 – Emerging Stronger and Protecting our Workforce: Leadership Lessons on Wellbeing and the Future of Work
  • 05 – 16.25 – Digital Wayfinding to Improve Experience

 

See the full University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation Birmingham 2022 conference programme.

University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation Birmingham 2022 – Exhibitor List

Nearly 30 different companies will be exhibiting at University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation Birmingham 2022, with stands focused on energy management systems, estate strategy, water system safety, and numerous environmental, mental health, and digital wellbeing initiatives.

View the full University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation Birmingham 2022 Exhibitor List.

Attending University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation Birmingham 2022

You can register for University & Healthcare Estates & Innovation Birmingham 2022.

Registration is free for the public sector. Private sector representatives pay a registration fee of £99 + VAT, which includes refreshments through the day, lunch, and parking. The fee is the same whether you attend one day of the conference or two.

The conference will be implementing stringent measures to control the spread of COVID-19. They ask that you don’t attend if you’re experiencing any symptoms, and that you present proof of vaccination, proof of a negative lateral flow test, or the presence of COVID-19 antibodies at registration.

For safer networking, the conference will also operate a voluntary traffic light system to allow attendees to demonstrate how comfortable they are interacting with others.

Read the full details of the conference’s infection control procedures.

How We Help Estates and Facility Managers

For more than 20 years, we’ve delivered cutting-edge products and services for hospitals. We specialise in air quality and workplace monitoring solutions, and we’ve provided products and services to NHS hospitals, private hospitals, and independent clinics across the UK.

Our experts are always on hand to answer any of your questions, and to provide all the help and support you might need. To discuss our advanced solutions for estates and facility managers, call 0333 015 4345 or email info@cairntechnology.com.

 

What Does Sevoflurane Smell Like & How to Monitor Long-Term Exposure

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Though sevoflurane has a good safety record, like all anaesthetic agents it carries certain risks.

What is Sevoflurane?

Along with isoflurane, sevoflurane is one of the most common anaesthetics for outpatients in healthcare settings. It’s used across all ages to induce general anaesthesia and maintain it during procedures.

What Risks Are Associated With Sevoflurane?

Some people are allergic to sevoflurane. It’s also been known to interact badly with certain other drugs and health problems, including muscle problems and malignant hyperthermia.

Sevoflurane is currently under review for potential hepatotoxicity. There are also concerns that it may accelerate Alzheimer’s.

On top of this, there are concerns that sevoflurane might be harmful to some children and infants. It may be neurotoxic to a developing brain, so it could be linked to neurobehavioural abnormalities in the long-term.

Effects of Long-Term Exposure of Sevoflurane

Like all anaesthetic agents, prolonged exposure in the workplace can lead to a range of problems. According to the CDI, these might include confusion, agitation, dizziness, nausea, breathing difficulties, blurred vision, and even loss of consciousness.

In the long-term, sevoflurane exposure can lead to some more serious health issues, include liver problems, hearth problems, asthma, and blood haemorrhages.

What Does Sevoflurane Smell Like?

Sevoflurane has a distinctive sweet smell, so it’s relatively easy to tell when there’s been a leak.

However, as sevoflurane’s administered as a gas through a mask, it’s very common for small quantities to leak into the room as it’s administered. So even if both staff and patients take all the necessary precautions, the risk of exposure may remain.

Inhaling a small amount of sevoflurane might not cause much harm. But as we’ve seen, prolonged exposure over a long-term period can lead to some serious health problems.

This is why it’s important to monitor exposure levels wherever sevoflurane is stored or administered in your hospital.

How to Monitor Sevoflurane Exposure Levels

Workplace exposure monitoring will help you identify whether your staff are being exposed to sevoflurane and other hazardous substances. We’ll help you ensure that current control measures are working effectively and staff are safe within your healthcare working environment.

We offer an expert workplace exposure monitoring service that will ensure you meet your COSHH obligations wherever your staff are exposed to hazardous substances in your care hospital. This can include long-term exposure to sevoflurane.

We employ both continuous monitoring and personal sampling techniques. In this way, we can demonstrate how sevoflurane levels in your hospital vary over the period of monitoring.

Our fully-accredited consultants will manage the work for you, eventually providing a comprehensive report that includes discussions and recommendations based on our findings.

Head here for more information about our bespoke healthcare air quality and exposure monitoring services.

Want to discuss exposure monitoring support for your hospital? You can talk to one of our friendly experts by calling 0333 015 4345 or emailing info@cairntechnology.com.

 

Isoflurane Side Effects & Long-Term Exposure

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Isoflurane is a general inhalation aesthetic. In healthcare settings, it has two main uses:

  • As a sedative agent, where it’s administered with air or pure oxygen to either induce anaesthesia, or to maintain a state of general anaesthesia that’s been induced by a different drug.
  • As a bronchodilator for patients with acute severe asthma.

Though isoflurane is one of the World Health Organisation’s Essential Medicines, it carries certain risks for both patients and practitioners.

Isoflurane Side Effects

Inhaling isoflurane in its vapour form can lead to a range of side effects, including:

  • Anxiety and irritability
  • Chest tightness, coughing, and breathing difficulties
  • Confusion along with seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren’t there
  • Unusual levels of excitement, nervousness or restlessness, along with sleeping problems

On rare occasions, inhaling isoflurane can lead to a rapid heartbeat, fainting, blurred vision, dizziness, headaches, and seizures.

Isoflurane is a liquid at room temperature, and in its liquid form its irritating and corrosive. So you should avoid contact with the eyes, skin, or any mucous membranes, and you should follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions should any isoflurane come into contact with these areas.

Isoflurane – Long-Term Exposure

Long-term exposure to isoflurane can lead to a range of chronic conditions. These will vary from person to person, but they may include:

  • Hepatic necrosis and failure
  • Gastrointestinal difficulties
  • Respiratory conditions
  • Hypersensitivity
  • Malignant hyperthermia
  • Psychiatric conditions including agitation, delirium, altered mood, and mental impairment

Other Isoflurane Safety Considerations

Some studies have raised concerns about the effect that general anaesthetics such as isoflurane might have on young children. When isoflurane is used in combination with anaesthetics such as nitrous oxide, there may be an increased risk of neurodegeneration.

With elderly patients, there are concerns that inhaled anaesthetics, such as isoflurane, may accelerate the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Finally, some patients are allergic to isoflurane, and may have a negative reaction if exposed to any levels.

Isoflurane Exposure Risks

If isoflurane is not stored, handled or disposed of properly, it can lead to exposure risks. You should store isoflurane bottles in a well-ventilated area at temperatures between 15 and 30°C, and you should return isoflurane to the storage location immediately after use, always ensuring the bottle’s closed tightly. You can read our full guide to isoflurane storage, handling and disposal.

Beyond this, the risks of isoflurane exposure can come either as a result of a leak (due to faulty equipment, for example), or as a result of human error. Some of the vapour may escape from the ventilator mask before it’s applied to the patient, for instance.

Managing Your Isoflurane Exposure Levels

Workplace exposure monitoring will help you meet your COSHH obligations, and identify whether your staff are being exposed to isoflurane and other hazardous substances wherever they’re stored, used, or disposed of.

We offer a specialist workplace exposure monitoring services that can test for isoflurane exposure levels in your hospital or healthcare settings. Using both continuous monitoring and personal sampling techniques, we can demonstrate how isoflurane levels in the workplace atmosphere vary over the monitoring period. We’ll then provide a comprehensive report including discussions and recommendations based on our findings.

Get in touch for more information about our bespoke air quality monitoring service, or to get a quote.

25% of Hospitals in Dangerously High Levels of Air Pollution Areas

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) advises a maximum concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of 10μg/m3 for the annual average. Fine particulate matter is a hazardous air pollutant. So when concentrations exceed the WHO’s recommended limits, it represents a major public health concern.

25% of Hospitals in Dangerously High Levels of Air Pollution Areas

Unfortunately, a recent report revealed that far too many UK hospitals are situated in areas with dangerously high levels of air pollution. The report, Toxic Air at the Door of the NHS, found that over 2,000 UK health centres are located in areas where the atmospheric concentration of PM2.5 exceeds the WHO’s recommended limits.

According to the report, 248 UK hospitals are located in highly polluted areas. This accounts for around 25% of all hospitals in the UK.

Want to know whether your local hospital’s in an affected area? Check our guide to the best and worst areas in the UK for air pollution.

The Risks of Fine Particulate Matter

What is Fine Particulate Matter?

When we talk about “fine particulate matter”, we’re referring to a huge variety of chemical compounds and materials that are less than 2.4 micrometres in diameter. Some of them are natural and organic. Others are man-made, and some are toxic.

Why is Fine Particulate Matter Harmful?

When a person inhales fine particulate matter, because the particles are so small, they can enter the bloodstream. And once these particles are in the bloodstream, they may make their way to the lungs, brain, heart, and other organs.

As a result, even short-term exposure to PM2.5 can aggravate existing conditions, including asthma and allergies. But long-term exposure can lead to the development of serious conditions including heart disease, strokes, and lung cancer.

The Effect of Pollution on Hospitals

Every single day, hundreds of people spend extended periods of time in hospitals. Staff at all levels work long shifts. For patients, even a short-term visit can last hours. And long-term patients will also invite visitors, who may themselves spend hours onsite.

So if the hospital’s located in an area with high levels of air pollution, every day hundreds and hundreds of people will be exposed to dangerously high levels of toxic particles.

For the staff, who spend longer than anyone else onsite, this could lead to a variety of serious health problems in the long-term. For patients, many of whom are already in a vulnerable condition, air pollution could aggravate existing symptoms, or even give them new health risks to contend with.

And for visitors, who might show up to the hospital feeling perfectly well, onsite air pollution could ensure they leave feeling significantly worse.

Besides endangering staff, patients and visitors, air pollution also gives hospitals plenty of other problems in both the short- and the long-term. According to one study, up to 20,200 respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions each year can be linked to air pollution.

At a time when NHS waiting lists are posing a serious concern, anything that can add to patient waiting times must be viewed as a major issue that requires our immediate attention.

Which Areas of the Hospital Are Most at Risk From Air Pollution?

When it comes to air pollution, some hospitals will have more to worry about than others – for example, inner-city hospitals, and any health centre located near a major road.

But for all hospitals, the most at-risk areas will be:

  • Any location frequented by members of the public, including receptions and waiting rooms.
  • Areas where the most vulnerable patients stay, including wards and communal spaces, such as gardens.
  • Any part of the hospital used by children and young people.
  • Any room of the hospital with a window facing a road.

What Can Hospitals Do To Reduce the Risks of Air Pollution?

The Asthma and Lung UK charity recently made a few suggestions for initiatives that could help address the high levels of air pollution around UK hospitals:

  • The UK government should enshrine the WHO’s recommended PM2.5 limits into law.
  • There should be more Clean Air Zones in towns and cities across the UK, where traffic flow is controlled to reduce air pollution. Read our full guide to the link between speed limits and air pollution.
  • Hospitals could start air quality monitoring schemes in places where their most vulnerable patients congregate.

How to Get Cleaner Air in Your Hospital Today

A high quality air filtration system can help you significantly improve the air quality in your hospital – and quickly.

Our Blueair HealthProtectTM air purifiers are fitted with advanced HEPASilent technology. This is capable of catching 99.97% of particles down to 0.1 microns, which includes PM2.5 fine air particles. But at the same time, they’ll capture many other hazardous and toxic air pollutants. And crucially for a hospital, they can also capture and kill 99% of viruses and bacteria.

Take a look at our specialist air purification systems for hospitals.