Assessing the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission via Surgical Electrocautery Plume

doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2021.2591

. 2021 Sep 1;156(9):883-885.

doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2021.2591.

Assessing the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission via Surgical Electrocautery Plume

Leigh J Sowerby^{1

2}, Anthony C Nichols¹, Richard Gibson³, Doron D Sommer⁴, Corey Moore¹, Douglas D Fraser⁵, Eric Arts³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, St Joseph's Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.
³ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 34019099
PMCID: PMC8140389
DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2021.2591

Assessing the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission via Surgical Electrocautery Plume

Leigh J Sowerby et al. JAMA Surg. 2021.

. 2021 Sep 1;156(9):883-885.

doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2021.2591.

Authors

Leigh J Sowerby^{1

2}, Anthony C Nichols¹, Richard Gibson³, Doron D Sommer⁴, Corey Moore¹, Douglas D Fraser⁵, Eric Arts³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, St Joseph's Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.
³ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 34019099
PMCID: PMC8140389
DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2021.2591

Abstract

This quality improvement study used a nonhuman subject research approach to examine whether SARS-CoV-2 from aerosolized virus is present in and potentially transmissible from a electrocautery plume in surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Sowerby reported personal fees from Medtronic outside the submitted work. Dr Sommer reported speaking fees from Medtronic and advisory board fees from Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline relating to biologic treatment for nasal polyps. No other disclosures were reported.

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References

1. van Doremalen N, Bushmaker T, Morris DH, et al. . Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(16):1564-1567. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2004973 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Zakka K, Erridge S, Chidambaram S, et al. ; PanSurg collaborative group . Electrocautery, diathermy, and surgical energy devices: are surgical teams at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic? Ann Surg. 2020;272(3):e257-e262. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000004112 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Sawchuk WS, Weber PJ, Lowy DR, Dzubow LM. Infectious papillomavirus in the vapor of warts treated with carbon dioxide laser or electrocoagulation: detection and protection. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1989;21(1):41-49. doi:10.1016/S0190-9622(89)70146-8 - DOI - PubMed
1. Bleier BS, Welch KC. Preprocedural COVID-19 screening: do rhinologic patients carry a unique risk burden for false-negative results? Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2020;10(10):1186-1188. doi:10.1002/alr.22645 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Chin AWH, Chu JTS, Perera MRA, et al. . Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions. Lancet Microbe. 2020;1(1):e10. doi:10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30003-3 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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[1] van Doremalen N, Bushmaker T, Morris DH, et al. . Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(16):1564-1567. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2004973 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[2] van Doremalen N, Bushmaker T, Morris DH, et al. . Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(16):1564-1567. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2004973 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[3] Zakka K, Erridge S, Chidambaram S, et al. ; PanSurg collaborative group . Electrocautery, diathermy, and surgical energy devices: are surgical teams at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic? Ann Surg. 2020;272(3):e257-e262. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000004112 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[4] Zakka K, Erridge S, Chidambaram S, et al. ; PanSurg collaborative group . Electrocautery, diathermy, and surgical energy devices: are surgical teams at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic? Ann Surg. 2020;272(3):e257-e262. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000004112 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[5] Sawchuk WS, Weber PJ, Lowy DR, Dzubow LM. Infectious papillomavirus in the vapor of warts treated with carbon dioxide laser or electrocoagulation: detection and protection. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1989;21(1):41-49. doi:10.1016/S0190-9622(89)70146-8 - DOI - PubMed

[6] Sawchuk WS, Weber PJ, Lowy DR, Dzubow LM. Infectious papillomavirus in the vapor of warts treated with carbon dioxide laser or electrocoagulation: detection and protection. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1989;21(1):41-49. doi:10.1016/S0190-9622(89)70146-8 - DOI - PubMed

[7] Bleier BS, Welch KC. Preprocedural COVID-19 screening: do rhinologic patients carry a unique risk burden for false-negative results? Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2020;10(10):1186-1188. doi:10.1002/alr.22645 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Bleier BS, Welch KC. Preprocedural COVID-19 screening: do rhinologic patients carry a unique risk burden for false-negative results? Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2020;10(10):1186-1188. doi:10.1002/alr.22645 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Chin AWH, Chu JTS, Perera MRA, et al. . Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions. Lancet Microbe. 2020;1(1):e10. doi:10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30003-3 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Chin AWH, Chu JTS, Perera MRA, et al. . Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions. Lancet Microbe. 2020;1(1):e10. doi:10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30003-3 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Assessing the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission via Surgical Electrocautery Plume

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Assessing the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission via Surgical Electrocautery Plume

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