Surgical Mishaps

Surgical Mishaps

A majority of Americans have undergone surgery at some point in their lives. Doctors or nurses generally explain to the patients and their families how the procedure will be carried out, the risk factors, and the chances of recovery. What isn’t addressed is the rare and most unpredictable of surgical mishaps, a surgical fire. This can happen even during the most routine of procedures. Though the chances of a fire erupting on or inside a patient are low, there are nearly 200 incidents a year where a patient is burned while on the surgical table. Of these 200 only 20% now suffer devastating and weakening injuries. The factors needed for this to happen are an oxygen source, a fuel or combustible material, and an ignition or heat source. I will explain what sets the grounds for a surgical fire, steps to take to prevent them, and what we can do to prevent them as well. There are many risk factors for having a surgical procedure, but there are also some that even the surgical staff isn’t prepared for, a surgical fire.

The most common areas a fire may take place are in operating rooms. The usual elements for a fire to occur are an ignition source, a fuel source, and an oxidizer. These three elements are known as the “fire triangle”. In an operating room environment these elements would consist of an oxygen or inhalation anesthesia mask used on the patient to regulate breathing, a combustible material such as gauze, drapes, sponges, and plastic materials, and a heat source such as lasers, fiber optic light sources, and other electrical equipment. The main oxidizers in any surgical environment are oxygen and nitrous oxide. Most fires are caused by the buildup of oxygen underneath surgical drapes during the use of electrical tools that cut or remove tissue or control bleeding. The hair on the head and neck of patients are prime combustible materials as well as body gas, methane. So as not to be deterred from receiving necessary surgeries, there are steps that can be taken to prevent this from happening.

The first step towards any fire prevention is being prepared and educated in the causes and effects. In order for surgical fires to be prevented, the OR team must be aware of the potentially dangerous elements that are present during every surgery. Fuel sources such as drapes, supplies, and