Electrosurgical and Electrocautery Device Failures and Best Reporting Practices

Electrosurgical units play a vital role in operating rooms today. Their failures have the potential to harm both patients and surgeons. In this article, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) postmarket safety reports involving electrosurgical units were examined to determine the most common failure categories of these devices. Based on this analysis, mechanical failure was the most prevalent failure experienced, primarily through part detachment, failing to articulate or movement/motion issues, or improper or poor cutting. When these issues are properly reported to FDA, FDA can work with manufacturers to improve these devices and ensure that these devices remain safe and effective.
Source: Journal of Clinical Engineering - Category: Medical Devices Tags: FEATURE ARTICLES Source Type: research