[Dangers in the use of high-frequency surgical instruments in anesthesiologic monitoring]

Although the use of high-frequency units is routine in all surgical disciplines, there is still a justification for reminding users of the attendant risks. The most common injuries sustained by patients are burns caused by fault currents. Such risks increase when a combination of several electric devices is used, and in particular when the operation is performed with simultaneous anesthesiologic monitoring. All electrically conductive, direct or indirect contacts between the patient and the ground lead potential, and all connections resulting in a low resistance or a shorter distance between the active and "neutral" high-frequency electrode than the correct current pathway, may become competing "neutral" electrodes with high current densities. It is therefore imperative that all those involved should strictly observe the safety rules. The systematization of problem points is intended to introduce greater clarity into the relatively long list of admonitions, and to indicate possible organizational solutions.