Infection control management is one of the main objectives for both surgical and post operative healthcare professionals; percutaneous infection from scalpels and syringes is considered an acceptable surgical risk, yet it can be extremely serious for all parties involved.
The advent of HIV in 1981 alerted the healthcare industry to increased dangers from transference of bodily fluids, and in 1987 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended "Universal Precautions"(1) protocols which required healthcare workers to treat all blood and bodily fluids as potentially dangerous. Heavy bleeding during surgery increases the risk of infection by compromising the integrity of the sterile field and by obscuring the surgeon's view of the field. Electrosurgery has long been known to reduce bleeding during surgery by precise cauterization of the tiny blood vessels, decreasing the amount of blood loss and enabling the surgeon to see the site clearly and cleanly.
The pioneer of electrosurgery, Dr. William T Bovie, first performed the procedure with colleague Dr. Harvey Cushing on October 1, 1926; successfully removing a mass from the head of one of Dr. Cushing's patients. Today, Bovie is recognized as the industry standard term for electrosurgery; with 80% of all surgeries utilizing electrosurgery as an integral component of the procedure. Bovie electrosurgery can mean less bleeding, consequently resulting in improved infection control management.
Technological advances in electrosurgical equipment further decrease risk; using a blended cut allows for precision cutting and simultaneous coagulation. 
Photo courtesy of respres
