Anaes Vivas · Electricity, diathermy & theatre safety
Data viva — the diathermy artefact on the monitor
A data viva on the diathermy electromagnetic interference — the ECG artefact (the noise during the activation, the normal between), the spurious pacemaker spikes or the false arrhythmia, and the principle of confirming any monitor change independently of the diathermy.
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ANZCAFRCAABAEDAIC
Prompt
A monitor trace showing the ECG suddenly flooded with a dense, high-frequency noise whenever the surgeon activates the diathermy, returning to normal between the activations. Interpret.
Stimulus
The monitor trace shows the ECG suddenly filled with a dense, high-frequency noise whenever the surgeon activates the diathermy, returning to the normal trace between the activations. The pulse oximeter and the capnograph are unaffected. Interpret the trace and the implications.
References2ShowHide
- [8]Karuppal R. A more cautious approach to surgical diathermy. Journal of Orthopaedics, 2020.PMID 32425415
- [32425416]Bersten AD, Soni N (eds) Oh's Intensive Care Manual. 8th edition, Elsevier, 2018.