Fire in the Operating Room: The terrible price of not following procedures.

In the well-lit, sterilized, filtered, pressurized, temperature and humidity-controlled environment of the operation room (OR) the surgical team goes over various check-lists: wall suction, oxygen, anesthesia gases, instruments, power tools, surgical supplies, storage space, bins, monitoring equipment... The carefully orchestrated performance of the surgeon and his team can only be successful if based on these necessary routine and often rehearsed checks. You don't do it or you get sloppy and terrible mistakes happen. Like a surgical fire, for instance.

It is unimaginable that a fire could start in the OR and catch everyone by surprise. In fact, all the components of a fire explosion are present in the OR when the surgical work begins.

The O₂ or N₂O enriched atmosphere, heat sources like fiberoptic light or lasers and fuel like drapes, plastic and hair are the three components essential to start a fire.

Surgical fires are catastrophic.

Even though surgical fires are relatively rare they can have devastating consequences, especially if open oxygen sources are present during surgery of the head, face, neck and upper-chest. In many cases, it actually is the operated patient who is on fire. With oxygen flowing through the endotracheal tube or blowing through face masks, a spark from a laser or any surgical tool ignites anything flammable near the patient: hair, tissue, skin, sheets, drapes, plastic tubes... In most cases, the operation will be interrupted which could also put the patient's life at risk.

Surgical fires are preventable and should never happen.

Preventing surgical fires in the OR is a question of following known procedures. Only trained perioperative nurses, anesthesiologists and surgeons who know the procedures should be allowed in the OR. The head surgeon's duty is to make sure all members of the team are aware of the risks, know their part and how to communicate with the others.

Every type of operation - electrocautery, tracheostomy, head surgery... - has its own set of fire prevention measures, and they are very much the same for every OR. With educated surgical team members and widely known and accepted procedures, no surgical fire should ever catch on and destroy what should be a life saving operation. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a surgical fire, you are likely to have been the victim of negligence.

Medical and Hospital Mistakes attorney Kay Van Wey has the knowledge and experience to help victims of surgical fires anywhere in the United States. Kay is no stranger to complex medical issues and has won multi-million dollar awards fighting powerful opponents in malpractice and negligence cases like preventable medical errors, birth injuries and operating room mistakes.

Don't hesitate to call Kay Van Wey now at 800-489-5082 or send us an e-mail for a free, no obligation consultation.

Don't hesitate to contact Kay Van Wey at (800)489-5082 for a free, no obligation consultation.

Van Wey Law serves:

The entire state of Texas, including Dallas, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio

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