A Fire in the Operating Room: It Could Happen to You!

Abstract

Operating room (OR) fires are probably more common today than when anesthesiologists used explosive agents. This is the result of more combustible materials in the OR, more ignition sources, and the prevalent use of open oxygen during monitored anesthesia care. The Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) estimates that 500 to 600 OR fires occur each year in the United States. Most are self-limited and do not result in significant injury to the patient. However, there are many instances of a patient receiving a serious burn and occasionally death has been reported. As recently as 2009, a 65-year-old woman in southern Illinois died a few days after she was burned in an OR fire. Approximately 65% of fires today involve surgery on the head, neck, and upper chest area.