Vol. VII, No. 12Archive > December, 2006

5 Ways to Prevent Upper Airway Fires

Here's how to keep your surgeons and staff ever mindful that cautery and lasers are ignition sources.

Lynda Simon, RN

Fire prevention has become second nature to the surgeons, anesthesia providers and staff at our ENT center, where many procedures require the use of supplemental oxygen and electrocautery or a laser in the nasopharynx. To a certain extent, this is a good thing. But the delicate balance between routine procedure and surgical fire can tip disaster's way in an instant, and I don't want their deftness to become complacency. So I've instituted five strategies that keep us mindful that the ingredients for a surgical fire are ever present.

 
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