title: The isolated circuit diathermy.
abstract: When using the conventional diathermy generator in surgery failure to apply the plate electrode can always present a serious risk of a thermoelectrical burn at any point where the patient makes contact with an earthed object on the operating table. The recent introduction of the earth-free (isolated circuit) diathermy should, under most conditions, provide complete protection against such risks. However, there are still certain circumstances under which even the isolated circuit may give rise to a thermoelectrical burn. Two such hypothetical examples are described; the sequences of events for these are fairly frequent occurrence.
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000517:prevention & control; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D012449:Safety