Electrocautery Flashcards
Which uses direct current, electrocautery or electrosurgery?
Electrocautery
Which uses alternating current, electrocautery or electrosurgery?
Electrosurgery
In which does the current enter the patient’s body, electrocautery or electrosurgery?
Electrosurgery
In which is the patient included in the circuit, electrocautery or electrosurgery?
Electrosurgery
True or False: During electrocautery, current does NOT enter the patient’s body.
TRUE
What are the 4 pieces of a circuit in electrosurgery?
- Generator
- Active electrode
- Patient
- Grounding pad
What provides the impedance in electrosurgery?
Patient’s tissue
What are the 2 types of electrosurgical units?
- Monopolar
2. Bipolar
Explain a monopolar ESU…
Electrical energy flows from the generator to the active electrode.
The energy then passes through the patient to a grounding pad, completing the electrical circuit.
Explain a bipolar ESU…
Uses 2-tined bipolar forceps.
One tine of the forceps serves as the active electrode, and the other tine serves as the return electrode.
The electrical current is confined to the tissue between the tines of the bipolar forceps.
Burn = (____ x time) / ____
Burn = (CURRENT x time) / AREA
Electric current travels easiest through __1__ and __2__.
- Muscle
2. Vascular tissue
Electric current does NOT travel well through ___, ___, or ___ tissue.
Bone, scar, or adipose
Which of the following is of the highest voltage: pure cut or coagulation?
Coagulation
Which of the following is associated with a continuous wave form: pure cut or coagulation?
Pure cut
Which of the following is fully filtered: pure cut or coagulation?
Pure cut
Which of the following is fully rectified: blend 1 or coagulation?
Blend 1
Which of the following is partially rectified: pure cut, blend 1, or coagulation?
Coagulation
Low duty = high or low heat?
Low duty = low heat
As you go from blend 1 to blend 3 the duty cycle is increased or decreased?
Decreased
Which produces the greater amount of heat, blend 1 or blend 3?
Blend 1
What type of waveform does coagulation produce? Does this produce high heat or low heat?
Intermittent, interrupted waveform = less heat
The slower the passage of the electrode, the ____ the lateral heat.
Greater
The more rapid the passage of the electrode, the ____ the lateral heat.
Less
Tissue should be incised at a minimum rate of ____ mm/second.
7 mm/second
Too high intensity –> ___ accumulation of lateral heat.
High
Too low intensity –> ___ accumulation of lateral heat.
High
The larger the electrode, the ___ the power setting necessary to operate.
Higher
The smaller the electrode, the ___ the power setting necessary to operate.
Smaller
A tissue sealing ligature can fuse bundles, lymphatics, and vessels up to ___ mm in diameter.
7 mm
True or False: When using a tissue sealing ligature, sutures and ligation devices are still necessary.
FALSE
