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Explosive Surgery?

Steve Fowler, Fowler Associates
sfowler@sfowler.com
July 28, 2007

When you are in surgery, the last thing you expect is to catch fire. It seems this is not that
uncommon . The American Society of Anesthesiologists has just issued their draft document on Operating rooms fires. Many of these fires are due to static electricity. However, the operating room is filled with fuel and ignition sources. It would be prudent of everyone planning a surgery to ask their doctors what they have done to prevent fires in the nursing home. Kathleen Osberger probably wishes she had. Please visit the links below for more information.

Fires in surgery prompt action by anesthesiologists-
Kathleen Osberger's story

Practive advisory for the prevention and management
of operating room fires
American Society of Anesthesiologists
A report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists task force on operating room fires
(pfd document)

California State Fire Marshal
California Fire Incident Reporting System
Operating Room Fires

Fires and Explosions
Newsletter from the American Society of Anesthesiologists

American College of Surgeons
Committee on Perioperative Care
Fires in the operating room

Joint Commission Resources
Preventing operating room fires

Preventing Fires in the OR- Patient Safety First- Operating Rooms
From The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Heathcare Organizations (JCAHO)