Spring Valley Hospital Earns National Recognition for Safety in Surgery
Spring Valley Hospital has earned the Go Clear Award™ for its achievement in eliminating hazardous smoke from its surgical procedures.
The Go Clear Award is presented by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) to recognize health care facilities that have committed to providing increased surgical patient and healthcare worker safety by implementing practices that eliminate smoke caused by the use of lasers and electrosurgery devices during surgery. Spring Valley Hospital earned its award by undergoing comprehensive surgical smoke education and testing and for providing the medical devices and resources necessary to evacuate surgical smoke during all smoke-generating procedures. It is one of just 27 hospitals nationwide to achieve the award so far.
“This is another advancement to improve the health and safety of our patients and staff,” said Leonard Freehof, CEO/Managing Director of Spring Valley Hospital. “It reduces smoke exposure to our patients, but it also has a significant impact on our surgical staff and surgeons. Inhaling and absorbing surgical smoke over multiple surgeries over multiple days, weeks and months can affect one’s health.”
Surgical smoke is the unwanted by-product of energy-generating devices that are used in 90 percent of all surgeries. Its contents include toxic chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide, viruses, bacteria, blood and cancer cells. Inhalation and absorption of surgical smoke pose serious health risks to patients and surgical staff. Studies compare the inhalation of smoke from vaporized human tissue to the smoke created by cigarettes; the average daily impact of surgical smoke to the surgical team is equivalent to inhaling 27-30 unfiltered cigarettes. Today, it is estimated only 50 percent of healthcare workers across the U.S. understand the hazards of smoke exposure.
“Total evacuation needs to become the standard for all procedures that generate surgical smoke,” said Linda Groah, MSN, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, FAAN, CEO/Executive Director of AORN. “With this award, Spring Valley Hospital is demonstrating its deep commitment to the health and safety of its staff and community.”