Continuing Education

Overview

As the patient’s advocate, preventing injuries associated with the use of monopolar electrosurgery has always been a priority for the perioperative nurse. Though highly versatile, cost effective and popular, the use of monopolar electrosurgery during laparoscopy poses an inherent risk to the patient: internal, unintended burns due to stray electrical current induced by capacitive coupling or insulation failure that occur outside of the surgeon’s field of view and go undetected. These types of burns are particularly serious adverse events because they can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Therefore, perioperative nurses who participate in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) must understand these risks, as well as technologies available today to prevent them and further advance safe patient care.

This continuing education activity will provide a review common energy modalities used in laparoscopic surgery. The hazards to the patient associated with the use of monopolar electrosurgery during MIS procedures will be described. The economic impact of electrosurgery injuries, including Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) penalties for worst performing hospitals, costs of care, and medico-legal aspects, will be discussed. Technologies that protect against current leakage due to capacitive coupling and insulation failure, and prevent monopolar electrosurgery injuries during MIS will be outlined. The current professional recommended practices related to patient safety during laparoscopic procedures will be reviewed. Finally, the responsibilities of perioperative team members, as they relate to patient safety during electrosurgery use in MIS procedures, will be discussed.

Intended Audience

This continuing education activity is intended for perioperative registered nurses and other health care professionals who are interested in learning more about the physics of capacitive coupling, insulation failure during MIS procedures, and new technologies to prevent electrosurgery burns during laparoscopic procedures.

Learner Objectives

1. Describe the principles of electrosurgery.
2. Outline how electrical waveforms used in electrosurgery interact with tissue.
3. Describe the associated benefits and limitations of monopolar, advanced bipolar and ultrasonic electrosurgical devices.
4. Describe the economic impact of electrosurgery injuries in the health care environment.
5. Explain CMS’s position and penalties for accidental laceration, punctures, and burns during laparoscopic surgery.
6. Identify technologies that prevent monopolar injury during minimally invasive surgery.
7. Outline the recommended practices related to patient safety during laparoscopic procedures.
8. Discuss the responsibilities of the perioperative team related to patient safety during minimally invasive surgery.

Accreditation

State Board Approval

Pfiedler Enterprises is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP14944, for 2.0 contact hours.

Obtaining full credit for this offering depends upon attendance, regardless of circumstances, from beginning to end. Licensees must provide their license numbers for record keeping purposes.

Contact Encision for scheduling and additional questions.  303-444-2600   info@encision.com