Improved Electrosurgical Grounding Pad Prevents Patient Skin Burn During Electrosurgery

The high-power electrosurgical and radio-frequency (RF) ablation devices that apply a high level of RF current to the patient for extended periods can increase the risk of patient skin burns at the grounding pad’s attachment site. Safety measures that have been proven effective using traditional electrosurgical procedures may not be sufficient to prevent grounding pad burns when used in procedures that require any combination of high current, long activation times and the use of conductive fluids (e.g., saline) for irrigation or distention. 1