Rhode Island passed legislation requiring all licensed hospitals and ASCs to implement smoke evacuation system policies for surgical procedures generating plume, according to Healthcare Facilities Today.
Here are three notes:
1. Rhode Island is the first state to pass legislation tackling the issue of surgical smoke.
2. Facilities have 90 days to notify the state's health department they've adopted policies addressing surgical smoke ventilation.
3. An estimated 500,000 workers are exposed to hazardous laser or electrosurgical smoke annually.