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O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A R C H 2 0 1 5
Enhance Your Fire Safety Protocols
Address specific ignition risks during pre-op time outs.
A
dry
sponge
ignited
during facial
surgery. An
alcohol-based
prep briefly
caught fire. A
light source
singed a surgi-
cal drape.
Those near-
misses actually
occurred in our health system, and although no patients were
harmed, they made us realize we had to
improve our fire safety
protocols. Recently, we've revamped the fire assessments that
occur during pre-op time outs. Check out how the new system
works to see if it would help to better protect patients in your
facility.
Most facilities classify cases at high-, medium- or low-risk for
fire. Working off that policy, staff assign a rating during the pre-op
time out and never think about it again. In addition to the near-
misses mentioned earlier, we experienced an incident involving a
flammable agent introduced late in a case. The surgical team had
agreed on a fire risk rating before the procedure began, but had
moved on to performing the procedure. When the flammable
material was finally needed, the team was not focused on its fire-
starting capabilities.
S A F E T Y
Paula Marentay, RN, CNOR
z HOT TOPIC Surgical teams at University
of Michigan Hospitals discuss the details of
specific fire risks during pre-op time outs.
Paula
Marentay,
RN,
CNOR
