“Surgical Fires Pose a Danger to Patients”

Video courtesy DFW CBS Channel 11. To view the entire story that originally aired on July 13th, please visit http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/07/13/surgical-fires-pose-a-danger-to-patients/.

As a consumer rights advocate, I was shocked to learn about patients catching on fire in the operating room. I first heard about surgical fires in 2001, when the Velasquez family came to me and asked me to help them make sure that nothing like this ever happened to another family. Their son, Andre Velasquez, was only seven years old when he was caught on fire during a routine tonsillectomy.

Shocked that this had happened to their son during what they thought would be a relatively safe procedure, the Velaquezes helped their son through three years of respiratory problems and breathing treatments. Unfortunately, the Velasquezes are not the only family to experience a medical event like this.

After extensively researching surgical fires, I learned that they are more common than what people may think. An estimated 650 surgical fires occur every year in the United States. However, most states do not require doctors or hospitals to report these events, so there may be more surgical fires each year than the latest estimate.

A surgical fire starts when three conditions are present: an ignition source, oxygen, and fuel. In most surgeries, the doctor provides the source of the ignition, which is usually a cauterizer. The oxygen, which is given to the patient, is generally controlled by the anesthesiologist. Fuel sources can be anything that will burn, including surgical drapes, antiseptic cleanser, and gauze.

If all three of these elements come together, anything in the operating room is fair game to catch on fire. Many of these fires are preventable when OR staff members are properly trained and when they have the proper equipment.

Nearly 10 years later, I am happy to report that Andre is a happy and healthy senior in high school. He no longer has to endure breathing treatments and will be heading off to college soon.