Outpatient Surgery Magazine

The New Quality Standards - January 2013

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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No More Patient Burns TOP CONCERN The combination of energies and oxygen make head and neck surgery a major fire risk. (Left to right) Karon Kennamer, CST; Stacy Taylor, ST; Cristy Vanzant, LPN, ST; and Kelly Garner, RN, conduct a laser safety drill at Tullahoma Surgery Center. Protect those in your care from injuries that are 100% preventable. Marilyn Burns, RN, BS, CNOR Tullahoma, Tenn. P advice on how to prevent them. OR fires Perhaps the worst-case scenario for patient burns, surgical fires are relatively rotecting patients from flash fires, rare but very hazardous. According to the thermal contact hazards, electrical ECRI Institute, the Plymouth Meeting, Pa., current, scalding fluids and danger- non-profit healthcare research organiza- ous chemical or radiation exposures is an tion, they occur approximately 550 to 650 absolute must. But it only takes a moment times a year in the United States, resulting for a seemingly minor misstep to escalate in about 20 to 30 patient injuries. into avoidable and potentially devastating The risk of OR fires is particularly acute errors. Here are some common causes of due to the fact that the necessary elements unintentional patient burns and practical of the "fire triangle" — a heat or ignition J A N U A R Y 2013 | S U P P L E M E N T TO O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E 1 7

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