title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons produced by electrocautery smoke and the use of personal protective equipment 1.
abstract: analyze the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in electrocautery smoke in operating rooms and the use of personal protective equipment by the intraoperative team when exposed to hydrocarbons.
  
  
  
  exploratory and cross-sectional field research conducted in a surgery center. Gases were collected by a vacuum suction pump from a sample of 50 abdominal surgeries in which an electrocautery was used. A form was applied to identify the use of personal protective equipment. Gases were analyzed using chromatography. Descriptive statistics and Spearman's test were used to treat data.
  
  
  
  there were 17 (34%) cholecystectomies with an average duration of 136 minutes, while the average time of electrocautery usage was 3.6 minutes. Airborne hydrocarbons were detected in operating rooms in 100% of the surgeries. Naphthalene was detected in 48 (96.0%) surgeries and phenanthrene in 49 (98.0%). The average concentration of these compounds was 0.0061 mg/m3 and a strong correlation (0.761) was found between them. The intraoperative teams did not use respirator masks such as the N95.
  
  
  
  electrocautery smoke produces gases that are harmful to the health of the intraoperative team, which is a concern considering the low adherence to the use of personal protective equipment.
authors.affiliation: MSc, RN, Hospital do Coração de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Vieira
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Claudio
authors.affiliation: PhD, Adjunct Professor, Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata Perfeito
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: PhD, Adjunct Professor, Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Júlia Trevisan
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: PhD, Full Professor, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing Research Development, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Helena Palucci
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Marziale
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor, Departamento de Química, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Solci
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor, Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dalmas
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D009873:Operating Rooms; D000067393:Personal Protective Equipment; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012906:Smoke / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012906:Smoke