Does anyone work in the operating room?

bchildrn · November 2013

Hi everyone! I just found out I'm pregnant, due July 15, I am a CRNA and work in the OR. Aside from the xrays and cement used for total joint replacements is there anything else I really need to avoid?? I am so nervous of doing something that will hurt the baby.

abrazz · November 2013

I am a circulator and I didn't know about the cement from the totals. I do most of the ortho so I'm in fluoroscopy cases and totals. I was with #2 as well. I think the radiology stuff would be the biggest thing to avoid if your group is big enough to change rooms with you. Congrats on your pregnancy!

P.S. I work in surgery with my dad who is a CRNA too!

pantherRN · November 2013

Do you only do ortho cases?

BHodd · November 2013

I am an ENT surgeon and pregnant with #1. I think if you can avoid the fluoro at least this early it would be best. Otherwise, I don't think there's too much else to worry about, except I can tell Bovie smell is already turning my stomach a bit, hopefully won't get worse...
Good luck!

bchildrn · November 2013

The bovie smoke is the worst, did a bilat breast reduction the other day and I had to have them turn on the smoke evacuator, I was dying =]

pantherRN · November 2013

I don't know where you work, but you might also want to consider avoiding intrahepatic chemo cases and solid organ transplants.

The smell from the Bovie is like nothing else. I will never forget the day that some surgeons did a bedside OR in my ICU. That small space with so many people, the heat, the smell...barf.

rosietoesohs · November 2013

I sat in on a double knee replacement last time around 20 weeks. I had to leave halfway through because the smell of the bovie was making me lightheaded and nauseated. Props to you ladies who deal with that regularly. Not for me.

BettyBoop86 · November 2013

I am in the NICU and I need to also avoid CMV Positive babies.

bulldoglove1 · November 2013

I don't work in the OR but I work for a pacemaker company and we use a lot of fluoro during implants. I'm going to try to avoid it as much as possible but I know that won't always work out.

I haven't gotten a chance to ask my doctor about it yet. What is everyone being told about fluoro exposure? I always wear a lead apron and thyroid collar.

I don't handle the bovie smell well not pregnant so I'm scared to see how I'll react now!

Aimes33m · November 2013

I'm a NP on vascular surgery. Not a ton of time in the OR...mostly postop patients. Any other things to avoid in the hospital that aren't as obvious and I may have forgotten about?

katekenney · November 2013

I am an OR nurse in a mainly orthopedic hospital. I am only 5 weeks but already about 10 people at work have figured it out bc I had to switch out of total knees. So far I have only been circulating this week but I am dreading that bovie smell when I scrub!

abrazz · November 2013

bulldoglove1 said:

I don't work in the OR but I work for a pacemaker company and we use a lot of fluoro during implants. I'm going to try to avoid it as much as possible but I know that won't always work out. I haven't gotten a chance to ask my doctor about it yet. What is everyone being told about fluoro exposure? I always wear a lead apron and thyroid collar. I don't handle the bovie smell well not pregnant so I'm scared to see how I'll react now!

Before I was even pregnant they were talking about getting rid of our radiology badges and not measuring our exposure anymore because the state inspectors said we don't need to. I got a little upset and so the Director of Surgery called the head of radiology and she said the exposure was so small we don't need to worry anymore. Well our pain doctor had just gotten his badge readings back and they were so high he had to take 2 weeks off. We are in there for 10 hours with him once every week and it's mainly constant fluoro. I asked her about pregnant people. She then said, pregnant women should NEVER be in a room with fluoroscopy. Well that is impossible. We only have 2 circulators and we flip rooms with our pain doctor, otherwise we would be there 20 hours. I haven't told either my director or the radiology director. I don't know what I will do if they say I can't be in there. But, I was in fluoro with my second and no one ever said anything. I just wore a lead jacket and skirt and apparently it worked fine. We don't even have thyroid covers. That's po-dunk Kansas for ya.

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