Preventing Surgical Fires

Collaborating to Reduce Preventable Harm

The Initiative is celebrating its ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY during National Fire Prevention Week October 7-13, 2012

Surgical fires are fires that occur in, on or around a patient who is undergoing a medical or surgical procedure. An estimated 550 to 650 surgical fires occur in the United States per year, some causing serious injury, disfigurement, and even death.¹ Despite the fact that the root causes of surgical fires are well-understood, surgical fires still occur. Many healthcare organizations have developed tools, implemented strategies, and conducted education and outreach efforts to reduce the risk of fires. To supplement these efforts, FDA and its partners launched the “Preventing Surgical Fires” initiative to:

• increase awareness of factors that contribute to surgical fires
• disseminate surgical fire prevention tools
• promote the adoption of risk reduction practices throughout the healthcare community
  

Courtesy of Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation

 

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To find out more about the “Preventing Surgical Fires” initiative or to get involved, contact the Safe Use Initiative.  
  

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¹ ECRI Institute New Clinical Guide to Surgical Fire Prevention. Health Devices October 2009