Effect of using portable surgical smoke evacuation system on symptoms associated with surgical smoke exposure in operating room nurses

Introduction: The use of electro-surgical equipment in operating rooms is widespread and offers numerous advantages. However, surgical smoke produced during these procedures poses various health risks and threatens worker safety. In this context, it is crucial for operating room nurses to select and apply proven protective methods to prevent surgical smoke. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of portable smoke evacuation systems on surgical smoke-related symptoms among operating room nurses. Method: A quasi-experimental single-group pre-test post-test design was used for the research, conducted with 24 operating room nurses at a private hospital between February 2024 and April 2024. Ethical and institutional approvals were obtained prior to the study. In the first phase, after obtaining consent from the nurses, they were asked to complete a data collection form. In the second phase, each nurse participated in a surgery where the portable smoke evacuation system was not used. A pre-test was conducted to determine the severity of symptoms associated with exposure to surgical smoke without the use of the system. In the third phase, the same sample group participated in a different surgery on another day, during which the portable smoke evacuation system was used, and a post-test was conducted to assess the severity of symptoms related to surgical smoke exposure. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results were evaluated for significance at a 95% confidence interval with p<0.05 (two-tailed). Findings: It was determined that all operating room nurses participating in the study were affected by surgical smoke, experienced discomfort, and exhibited at least one symptom associated with smoke exposure. These symptoms included headache, dizziness, nausea, throat irritation, cough, sneezing, reduced visual acuity, eye irritation, tearing, and shortness of breath. It was observed that as the perceived intensity of surgical smoke decreased among operating room nurses, both the level of discomfort caused by the surgical smoke and the severity of symptoms associated with smoke exposure significantly decreased. Conclusion: The portable smoke evacuation system used in the study was found to be effective in reducing the perceived intensity of surgical smoke among operating room nurses, thereby decreasing both the discomfort caused by the smoke and the severity of symptoms related to smoke exposure.