Airborne particulate concentration during non-thermal nano-pulse stimulation wart clearance is negligible compared to thermal modalities.

Objectives As clinicians continue to implement safety protocols amid the global pandemic, considerations to mitigate potential viral transmission of airborne particulates (plume) generated from certain dermatologic procedures are of growing interest. This study intended to measure the change in airborne particulate matter using a non-thermal energy modality called nano-pulse stimulation (NPS) and compare levels of concentration to common thermal modalities (CO2 laser and electrocautery). NPS is a new non-thermal modality that applies nanosecond pulses of electrical energy to induce regulated cell death in cellular structures while sparing the surrounding acellular structure of the dermis. Materials and methods The study used a Condensation Particle Counter during four types of dermatologic procedures: (1) using non-thermal NPS for the clearance of cutaneous, nongenital warts; (2) an electrocautery treatment of warts; (3) a CO2 laser for facial resurfacing; and (4) an electrocautery procedure for a facelift. Four subjects and a total of 11 warts were treated with NPS while a particle counter was used to detect the average particles per cubic centimeter once per second. The same particle counter was used, for comparison, during a wart removal procedure using electrocautery for comparison, and for control, during a skin resurfacing procedure with a CO2 laser and a facelift in which electrocautery was used. Results Only one of the 11 NPS wart procedures generated any detectable change in the particulate concentration and that change was negligible in comparison to the increase in particulate concentration measured during the CO2 laser resurfacing and the electrocautery use during a facelift procedure. Conclusions Procedures using non-thermal NPS technology do not generate significant plume when applied to eliminate warts, suggesting it is unlikely that this new energy modality would release viral DNA into the air.