Key Takeaways: Electrosurgical Safety

TAKEAWAY:

Determine a standardized communication strategy for when insulation failure is found during sterile processing.

EXPLANATION:

• Burns may be caused by insulation failure.
• (NEW) Inspect active electrodes for insulation failure before, during, and after a procedure. 3.5.
• (NEW) Use an active electrode insulation integrity tester while preparing active electrodes for packaging during processing. 3.5.1.
• If an insulation failure is identified during processing, sterile processing personnel should remove the damaged device from service. 3.5.2.
• (NEW) Create an interdisciplinary team that includes perioperative and sterile processing personnel to determine the standardized communication strategy. 3.6.
• (NEW) Include the following communication strategies and actions:
• the communication pathway between sterile processing and surgery personnel,
• physician notification,
• device handling, and
• documentation according to facility policy and procedure. 3.6.1.