Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Patient Safety in Surgery
Published in: Patient Safety in Surgery 1/2008

Open Access 01-12-2008 | Case report

Alcohol based surgical prep solution and the risk of fire in the operating room: a case report

Authors: Sumit Batra, Rajiv Gupta

Published in: Patient Safety in Surgery | Issue 1/2008

Login to get access

Abstract

A few cases of fire in the operating room are reported in the literature. The factors that may initiate these fires are many and include alcohol based surgical prep solutions, electrosurgical equipment, flammable drapes etc. We are reporting a case of fire in the operating room while operating on a patient with burst fracture C6 vertebra with quadriplegia. The cause of the fire was due to incomplete drying of the covering drapes with an alcohol based surgical prep solution. This paper discusses potential preventive measures to minimize the incidence of fire in the operating room.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
ECRI: A clinician's guide to surgical fires. Health Devices. 2003, 32: 5-24.
2.
ECRI: Fires from oxygen use during head and neck surgery. Health Devices. 1995, 24: 155-6.
3.
ECRI: Improper use of alcohol based skin preps can cause surgical fires. Health Devices. 2003, 32: 441-3.
4.
Barker SJ, Polson JS: Fire in the operating room: a case report and laboratory study. Anesth Analg. 2001, 93: 960-5. 10.1097/00000539-200110000-00031.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Briscoe CE, Hill DW, Payne JP: Inflammable antiseptics and theatre fires. Br J Surg. 1976, 63: 981-3. 10.1002/bjs.1800631225.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Weber SM, Hargunani CA, Wax MK: Duraprep and the risk of fire during tracheostomy. Head & Neck. 2006, 28 (7): 649-52. 10.1002/hed.20396.CrossRef
7.
Prasad R, Quezado Z, Andre AS, O'Grady NP: Fires in the operating room and intensive care unit: Awareness is the key to prevention. Anesth Analg. 2006, 102: 172-4. 10.1213/01.ane.0000183641.09008.f2.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Alcohol based surgical prep solution and the risk of fire in the operating room: a case report
Authors
Sumit Batra
Rajiv Gupta
Publication date
01-12-2008
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Patient Safety in Surgery / Issue 1/2008
Electronic ISSN: 1754-9493
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-9493-2-10

Other articles of this Issue 1/2008

Patient Safety in Surgery 1/2008 Go to the issue

Case report

Misinterpretation of histopathological results as an important risk factor for unneeded surgery – case report of a "near miss" event in a pregnant woman

Case report

Inhalant abuse of 1,1-difluoroethane (DFE) leading to heterotopic ossification: a case report

Research

Incidents and complications of totally implanted vascular access devices in children: a prospective study

Letter to the Editor

The unresolved safety concerns of bovine thrombin

Review

Missed injuries in trauma patients: A literature review

Case report

Femoral artery thrombosis after internal fixation of a transverse acetabular fracture in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta type I