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Surgical Tech 150 > Test 8 Electricity In Surgery > Flashcards

Test 8 Electricity In Surgery Flashcards

1
Q

What is matter?

A

Anything that has mass and occupies space
Made of atoms
Nucleus: protons -positive charge
Neutrons- neutral
Electrons- negative (smaller)

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2
Q

What is electron theory?

A

Behavior of electrons
Electrons move from shell to shell

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3
Q

What are the Basic laws of electricity?

A

Opposite charges attract
Like charges repel
Energy never lost or destroyed
Energy goes from negative to positive

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4
Q

How do we control temp in OR room?

A

Temperature= 68-73 F
Humidity= 20-60%

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5
Q

What is conductivity?

A

The ability of a material to release free electrons

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6
Q

What do insulators do?

A

Inhibit flow of electrons
Poor conductors
Cover and provide a path for current
Rubber, plastic, wood

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7
Q

What are conductors?

A

Materials that allow the flow of free electrons
Surgical lamps, ESU, power drills contain copper wire
Good- copper, silver, gold, blood
Bad- paper, air, glass

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8
Q

What is electrical charge?

A

To many or to few electrons on an atom
Like charges repel
Unlike charges attract

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9
Q

What is a magnetism field?

A

Found in atoms orbit the nucleus
Travel in opposite directions- neutral effect
Travel in same direction- fields are combined
But not electricity
Iron, nickel, and cobalt are naturally occurring magnetic substances

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10
Q

What are electromagnetics?

A

Metals that become magnetic when a conductor is wrapped around them
Can create electricity

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11
Q

Volt

A

Electrical potential

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12
Q

Voltage

A

Potential energy of electron between two points
Battery or generator measured in Amps

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13
Q

Amp

A

Unit of electric current

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14
Q

Circuit

A

Electricity flows from energy source to device to energy source
Open circuit- light off
Closed circuit- lights on

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15
Q

Power

A

The rate at which work is done
Measured in watts to kilowatts

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16
Q

Load

A

The device that uses the electricity to perform a function
Surgical lamps, ESU, power drills, robots, monitors

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17
Q

Switch

A

The device used to open or close a circuit and controls the flow of electricity

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18
Q

Resistance

A

Restricting the flow of current

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19
Q

What are the 3 types of current?

A

Current- measured in AMPS
Direct current- flows one direction
Alternating current- both directions

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20
Q

What are 4 ways to protect yourself?

A

Insulators
Current biomedical stickers
Ground plug
Protect yourself

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21
Q

What is the purpose of electrosurgery??

A

High frequency current
Vaporizes & dries cells
Incise & desiccate tissue
Coagulate small blood vessels
Almost every surgical procedure

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22
Q

What is electrical current pathway?

A

Heat generated by passage of electrical current through two electrodes.

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23
Q

What is an ESU machine?

A

“Bovie”
Reads amount of current returning to ESU
Unit will shut off if different current return

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24
Q

What are pathways of electricity?

A

Electrosurgical unit
Active electrode
Patient tissue
Inactive electrode
Electrosurgical unit

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25
Q

What are active electrodes?

A

Sends out current
Incorporated into tissue forceps
May be hand or foot controlled

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26
Q

What is an inactive electrode?

A

Monopolar pad
Completes ESU circuit through the patient
Can cause patient harm
Gel portion of pad is conductive

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27
Q

What is the path for a monopolar circuit?

A

Passes through the body back to electrode monitor

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28
Q

What is the path for a bipolar circuit?

A

ESU to the electrode
Through the patients tissue to the other electrode then back to the ESU

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29
Q

What are the 3 ESU modes?

A

Cutting current- incises tissue
Coagulating current- sears vessels to control bleeding
Fulguration- aka spray coagulation

30
Q

What are the types of ESU tips?

A

Ball
Blade-spatula and needle
Coated teflon
Extended

31
Q

What is a cryothermy handpiece

A

Cold
Freeze
Kidney tumor

32
Q

What is an argon beam coagulator handpiece?

A

Argon has created superficial thermal effect
Hemostasis
Tissue devitalization
Tissue reduction (cut out)

33
Q

What is a radio frequency ablation handpiece?

A

Heat destroys tissue
Radio waves
For uterus

34
Q

What are 2 other hand pieces?

A

Vessel sealing
Harmonic scalpel- ultrasonic moves fast

35
Q

What are hazards to the surgical team?

A

RF capacitive coupling
Dielectric breakdown
Use surgical gloves

36
Q

What are hazards to the patient?

A

Direct coupling- 2 metals touch
Insulation failure
Capacitive coupling- inadvertent capacitator
Burns

37
Q

What are the Safety precautions when placing ESU pad?

A

Set unit at lowest
All connections secure
Dry area
No spots or bubbles
Place on fleshy area
Not on bony prominence
Avoid scars
Shave hairy areas
Never cut a pad

38
Q

What are some of the fire safety precautions?

A

Alcohol based prep- dry
Place in holder
Tent the drapes
Watch oxygen use
Aware of MVA patients w/ gas

39
Q

What is the proper disposal of ESU?

A

Tips go in sharps container
Malfunctioning equipment- sticker with patient info

40
Q

What is a laser?

A

Light caused by excitation of gases, solids, liquids, and semiconductor crystals (media)

41
Q

What is a gas active media?

A

Energized by electricity to produce light

42
Q

What are solid active mediums?

A

Energized by a flash lamp
Has the most power output

43
Q

What are liquid active mediums?

A

Organic dye energized by laser beam to produce laser light in various wavelengths

44
Q

What are semiconductor crystal active mediums?

A

Energy delivered directly to the tissue through a filter or slit-lamp microscope

45
Q

What are benefits to using lasers in surgery?

A

No electricity
Precise cutting
Nerve endings are sealed
Blood vessels are sealed
Minimal scarring
Minimal thermal damage

46
Q

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

A

Travels at different wavelengths
Range from 400-700 nanometers

47
Q

What are wavelengths?

A

Distance between 2 crests
Longer wave lengths carry less energy
Wavelengths determine color beams
Vary on application

48
Q

What is a monochromatic laser light?

A

The photons (tiny particles that compose light) are all the same color/wavelength

49
Q

What does collimated mean?

A

Waves are parallel
Do not spread as they travel
Allow pinpoint precision

50
Q

What is coherent?

A

Waves are traveling same direction and in phase with each other
Peaks and valleys are in line- increased power

51
Q

What is fluence?

A

Precision and power of the laser beam
Spot size
Watts and joules
Exposure time (more time = more tissue damage

52
Q

Tissue reaction to laser light

A

Red laser is highly absorbed by red pigmented tissue

53
Q

How does a laser work on tissue?

A

Focused light impacts tissue and is absorbed. Cellular water is heated. Water converts to steam. Cells burst by pressure within cell wall. Releases debris and smoke ( laser plume)

54
Q

What are the 4 interactions lasers have with tissue?

A

Absorption
Transmission
Reflection
Scattering

55
Q

Describe laser tissue interaction- absorption

A

Tissue/cells absorb laser energy and are destroyed
Affected by:
Fluence and wavelength
Tissue color and consistency
Cellular water content

56
Q

Describe laser tissue interaction- transmission

A

How laser light passes through a tissue
Ex. Argon goes through clear aqueous to coagulate

57
Q

Describe laser tissue interaction- reflection

A

Laser reflected from impact site
Can be intentional or unintentional

58
Q

Describe laser tissue interaction- scattering

A

Beam spreads over a larger area
Deviates from straight trajectory

59
Q

What are the laser system parts?

A

Console- outer housing of system
Control panel- has all settings
Laser chamber/tube- contains active medium
Laser head- condenses light into beam
Hand-piece/laser fiber- component on sterile field that delivers the laser to tissue

60
Q

Describe CO2 laser gas

A

Most common
Infrared region of electromagnetic spectrum
Invisible beam with visible red beam
Contraindicated in eye surgery
Laryngeal tumors

61
Q

Describe argon gas lasers

A

Travel through tissues and fluids
Absorbed by red pigment tissue
Common in eye surgeries

62
Q

Describe krypton gas lasers

A

Colors are green yellow and red
Used to remove superficial lesions
Ablate tissue on retina

63
Q

Describe excimer gas and halogen laser

A

Ultraviolet in color
Reshaping of cornea
Destruction of plaque within arteries

64
Q

Describe tunable dye liquid lasers

A

Pulsed dye laser beam
Formed when exposed to argon laser
Tuned to produce wavelength
Used in many surgeries and tissue types

65
Q

Describe diode semi-conductor solids lasers

A

Popular for fiber optics, barcode readers, laser printers, blue ray players
Prone to static electrical charges
Good for hair removal, dermatology
Good for spider veins and dark spots, eye surgery

66
Q

Describe YAG laser/solid crystal

A

Used in GU
Erbium (erbium YAG)
Holmium (Ho YAG)**
Neodymium (Nd YAG)**

67
Q

Laser safety tips

A

For fire:
Sterile water on field
Aware of light beam
Fire extinguishers
For plume:
Wear masks
Smoke evaporators

68
Q

Protection for lasers

A

For staff:
Goggles/glasses laser specific
Corneal burns/CO2 laser
Retinal blindness- Nd-YAG and argon

For patient:
Moist gauze pads
Intra-ocular shields
Wet towels

69
Q

Laser safety tips for outside personnel

A

Danger/laser signs on doors
Cover windows
Eyewear hanging outside

70
Q

Other laser safety tips

A

Non-reflective instruments
Foot pedals- surgeon only
Stand by mode
Non flammable laser safe turning for trachea

Surgical Tech 150 (15 decks)

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