How Wildfire Smoke Could Be Harming Surgical Patients

TUESDAY, Aug. 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Wildfire smoke could interfere with the safety of surgeries, a new study warns.

Inhaling the smoke could complicate the effects of anesthesia on surgical patients, and it also might hamper their recovery, researchers reported Aug. 6 in the journal Anesthesiology.

“Wildfire smoke poses significant health risks, particularly in people with preexisting heart and lung disease, obese patients, infants and young children, and other vulnerable groups,” said senior researcher Dr. Vijay Krishnamoorthy, chief of critical care medicine at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C.