By EORNA Treasurer, Manuel Valente
Surgical smoke is an invisible but critical occupational hazard that many perioperative nurses and surgical teams face daily. With over 500,000 healthcare professionals exposed to surgical smoke each year in Europe, it’s time to take stronger action to protect all professionals and patients.
The Hidden Dangers of Surgical Smoke
During electrosurgery, laser surgery, and other energy-based procedures, surgical smoke is created from tissue destruction. This airborne byproduct contains toxic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and carcinogenic substances, making it a major health risk. Studies show that inhaling just one day of unfiltered surgical smoke is equivalent to smoking 30 unfiltered cigarettes. Yet, despite the risks, surgical smoke evacuation is not yet a standard practice in many European hospitals.
EORNA’s Commitment to Safer ORs
At EORNA, we are committed to advocating for smoke-free operating rooms. We have partnered with the Surgical Smoke Coalition to push for EU policy changes that will make smoke evacuation systems a standard in every OR. Additionally, we are developing a positioning paper that highlights the dangers of surgical smoke and provides clear recommendations for perioperative teams and hospital leaders to implement best practices.
What Can You Do?
🚨 Advocate for Change: Raise awareness among all healthcare communities and hospital leadership about the risks of surgical smoke and sign the Surgical Smoke Pledge here.
💨 Use Smoke Evacuation Systems: Ensure that appropriate filtration and evacuation systems are in place and consistently used.
📢 Support Policy Implementation: Encourage your hospital to adopt and enforce mandatory surgical smoke evacuation policies.
Perioperative nurses must take a stand to protect themselves and their teams. No one should have to sacrifice their health for their profession, considering the unethical condition. Together, we can make smoke-free ORs the standard, not the exception.
#SurgicalSmokeFreeOR #PerioperativeNursing #NursesHealth #EORNA #SurgicalSmokeCoalition #Stryker #PatientSafety
