CENTER VALLEY, Pa., (June 24, 2021) – Olympus is offering a new for-credit educational course addressing the issue of surgical smoke management in the operating room (OR). Titled, Utilizing Evidence-Based Practice to Minimize Risk for Infection: Smoke Management in the Peri-Operative Setting, the Continuing Education (CE) e-learning module will be presented at the APIC (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) 2021 Virtual Conference being held June 28-30. The course will be available to health care practitioners registered for APIC for 90 days, from June 14 through September 1, 2021, after which time it will be available to all health care practitioners via the Olympus Continuum, our comprehensive educational and training platform.
Surgical smoke contains a multitude of hazardous chemicals and bio-aerosols that may place OR staff and patients at risk for infection and other health-related problems. Professional nursing and regulatory agencies recommend smoke management as a best practice in the peri-operative setting.
The course is being taught by Olympus Infection Preventionist Lynn Burbank, DNP, MSN, RN, APRN, CIC.
Learning objectives for the course include:
- Discuss surgical smoke and the potential risk for infection
- Describe how a facility can manage smoke in the peri-operative setting
- Discuss professional and legislative initiatives that support smoke management in the peri-operative setting
- Identify evidence-based practice in smoke management to minimize risk for infection
Development of this new course follows Olympus backing of The Joint Commission’s recommended safety actions for managing the hazards of surgical smoke. Leading healthcare and governmental organizations advocate the use of smoke management devices to reduce the risk of potential exposure to aerosolized contaminants. These include the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Three U.S. states, Rhode Island, Colorado and Kentucky, have passed laws mandating that hospitals install local exhaust ventilation systems in procedure rooms to control smoke and reduce the risk of staff exposure. AORN is tracking legislation introduced in eight other states (Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, Oregon, and Texas)i, and legislation is pending introduction in yet other states.
In addition to awareness building and educational programming, Olympus has been working to offer commercial solutions for addressing surgical smoke exposure. In September 2020, Olympus entered into an exclusive agreement with Alesi Surgical Limited to distribute the Ultravision surgical smoke control system in the U.S. For more information about Ultravision, visit https://medical.olympusamerica.com/products/ultravision.
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About Olympus
Olympus is passionate about the solutions it creates for the medical, life sciences, and industrial equipment industries.
Olympus’ Medical business uses innovative capabilities in medical technology, therapeutic intervention, and precision manufacturing to help healthcare professionals deliver diagnostic, therapeutic, and minimally invasive procedures to improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs, and enhance the quality of life for patients. Olympus’ Medical portfolio includes endoscopes, laparoscopes, and video imaging systems, as well as surgical energy devices, system integration solutions, medical services, and a wide range of EndoTherapy instruments. For more information, visit https://medical.olympusamerica.com/.
- Surgical Smoke Legislation webpage: https://www.cqstatetrack.com/texis/statetrack/insession/viewrpt/main.html?event=5ba109c419e#KY