Overlook Hospital Gets Award For Eliminating Smoke In Procedures

SUMMIT, NJ — Overlook Medical Center received the Gold Level Go Clear Award for eliminating hazardous smoke from surgical procedures.

Overlook is one of three hospitals in New Jersey to be recognized with this distinction. The Go Clear Award is presented by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and recognizes health care facilities that are committed to providing increased surgical patient and health care worker safety by implementing practices that eliminate smoke.

Hazardous smoke is often caused by the use of lasers and lasers and electrosurgery devices during surgery. There are several several instances during surgery in which a small amount of smoke may be generated, such as when a surgeon needs to use special instruments to cauterize blood vessels or tissue, or when other devices utilize heat as part of their normal function.

Overlook Medical Center earned its award by undergoing comprehensive surgical smoke education, as well as testing the medical devices and resources necessary to evacuate surgical
smoke.

“Safety and quality are our top priority and eliminating smoke from our operating spaces is a huge advance in protecting our patients as well as the surgical team caring for them” Jillian
Carratala, director of surgical services at Overlook Medical Center said. “Our commitment toward safety is truly a team effort between nursing, patient care partners, surgeons and our anesthesia partners.”

According to Atlantic Health, surgical smoke is the unwanted by-product of energy-generating devices that are used in 90 percent of all surgeries.

Smoke can include toxic chemicals, such as benzene, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide, viruses, bacteria, blood and cancer cells.

Inhalation and absorption of surgical smoke can pose serious health risks to patients and surgical staff, Atlantic Health reported.

“Total evacuation needs to become the standard for all procedures that generate surgical smoke,”
Linda Groah, CEO/Executive Director of AORN said. “With this award, Overlook is demonstrating its deep commitment to the health and safety of its staff and community.”

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