Two patient safety groups recommend ending the traditional practice of open, 100% oxygen delivery during sedation to prevent the risk of surgical fires.
In the "New Clinical Guide to Surgical Fire Prevention," published in the October issue of ECRI's Health Devices journal, the ECRI Institute and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation recommend securing the airway if patients require more oxygen. "For exceptional cases, which are detailed in the new guidance, delivery of the minimum concentration of oxygen necessary to maintain adequate blood oxygen saturation is recommended."
"Fires in oxygen-enriched atmospheres ignite much more easily, burn hotter and spread more quickly," says Mark Bruley, BS, CCE, vice president of accident and forensic investigation for ECRI Institute. "The goal is to stop open oxygen delivery for surgery around the head and upper chest."
The new recommendations come 1 month after a patient died in an OR flash fire during a right temporal artery biopsy at an Illinois Hospital. Documents from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that the patient was given oxygen during the procedure, which then built up under the drapes and ignited when the surgeon began cauterizing a bleed, according to a local news report.
Irene Tsikitas
