Hundreds Injured by Fire During Surgery, New Report Shows

Electrosurgical Tools Responsible for the Majority of Fires

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System has just released the first-ever set of figures on the numbers of people injured, disfigured or killed as a result of fires during surgery. And the numbers are high, five times more prevalent than originally thought. In fact, fire accidents in the operating room are believed to affect between 550 and 650 patients a year.

Data collected from the Pennsylvania system show 28 fires a year in that state alone. While that is small, given that there are approximately 50 million surgeries performed in the US annually, the consequences for the individuals concerned can be life-altering, even resulting in disabilities and disfigurations. Worse, between 1 and 2 people die every year as a result of fires in the OR.

Unfortunately, the head and neck are areas well suited to fire in a surgical setting, largely because of the exposure to oxygen, and flammable materials like hair. Some 65 percent of surgical fires take place inside a patient's airway, or in the upper body, while only a quarter happen elsewhere. Electrosurgical tools are responsible for approximately 70 percent of fires, and 20 percent are caused by light sources, burrs or defibrillators, and hot wires. A further 10 percent are ignited by lasers.

SEPT-25-08: On fire in the OR: Hundreds are hurt every year [MSNBC: FIRES IN THE OPERATING ROOM]

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Published on Sep-25-08