The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published final positive guidance on the use of Mega Soft Patient Return Electrode mats, supplied by Interglobal Surgical in the UK.
The NICE guidance recommends the mat for use by selected patient groups to help reduce the likelihood of burns on patient’s skin during surgery. The device, which is placed on the operating theatre table and lies beneath the patient during surgery, was designed to eliminate the need for a disposable patient return electrode attached directly to the skin. The latter are currently used in the NHS and can cause skin burns. According to NICE, the device can particularly benefit elderly people, patients with tender or already damaged skin and those whose skin would need shaving first. There are also possible benefits for theatre staff in terms of convenience and reduced setting-up time. The NICE guidance is available at http://www.nice.org.uk/MTG11
