AORN Journal
Volume 90, Issue 6 , Pages 867-872, December 2009

Reducing Scalpel Injuries in the Operating Room

  • Joshua G. Vose, MD

      Affiliations

    • Joshua G. Vose, MD, is the director of clinical affairs at PEAK Surgical, Inc, Palo Alto, CA.
    • ,
  • Jeanne McAdara-Berkowitz, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Jeanne McAdara-Berkowitz, PhD, is the principal of Biolexica, LLC, Boulder, CO.

ABSTRACT 

Scalpel injuries can expose surgeons, nurses, and other OR personnel to bloodborne pathogens. Direct and indirect costs of managing exposure include time spent reporting, treating, and following up on the injuries; salaries and benefits for injured staff members; laboratory testing of exposure sources and exposed personnel; and postexposure prophylaxis.

Standard precautions, training and awareness for those at risk, the use of neutral passing zones, and safety-engineered devices have helped decrease the incidence of injury for specific categories of sharps. One new safety device is a hand piece that uses electrosurgical plasma induced with pulsed radio-frequency energy to cut tissue. AORN J 90 (December 2009) 867–872. © AORN, Inc, 2009.

Key words:  scalpel injury , bloodborne pathogen transmission , OR injury prevention , standard precautions

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 Editor's note: PEAK is a registered trademark of PEAK Surgical, Inc, Palo Alto, CA. Publication of this article does not imply AORN endorsement of specific products.

PII: S0001-2092(09)00542-0

doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2009.07.025

AORN Journal
Volume 90, Issue 6 , Pages 867-872, December 2009

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