Comparison of Current and Past Surgical Smoke Control Practices

In 2010, we teamed with AORN to repeat a simple web-based survey on surgical smoke control practices first conducted in 2007. This survey of AORN members assessed the level of compliance with established surgical smoke control measures (ie, use of wall suction with an in-line particulate filter, use of a smoke evacuator, use of an N95 or other National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved respirator) in various medical specialties and facilities throughout North America, as well as the extent to which compliance rates may have changed since 2007. Survey responses indicate that while the use of wall suction as a control measure has increased for nearly all procedures, progress in the adoption of other control measures has been mixed, with improvement for some procedures, no change for most procedures, and a decrease in compliance for a few procedures.