Fires and explosions

Fire ignition during laser surgery in pet rodents

“…The three elements constitute the so-called “fire triad” or “fire triangle” [24,25]. An oxidizer is a substance that gains electrons in a red-ox chemical reaction.…”

“…An oxidizer is a substance that gains electrons in a red-ox chemical reaction. The most common oxidizers in the operating room are oxygen and nitrous oxide [25]. The most common ignition sources cited in operating room fires seem to be the electrosurgical unit [24], although also lasers are another common ignition source.…”

“…This is facilitated by the heat produced by the laser, the flow of oxygen, inflammable anesthetic agents or combustible materials [16,23,28]. We suppose that in the present cases the elements composing the “fire triangle” (oxidizer/inflammable substance/ignition source) [25] were: 100 per cent oxygen, sevoflurane or isoflurane and diode laser at 3–3.5 W continuous pulsation, respectively. Decrease or removal of any element of the fire triangle could have prevented fire ignition.…”

Surgical fires: Still a burning issue in England and Wales

“…The first signs of a fire can include: smoke, flashes and/or flames and may include a strange odour, unusual sounds, heat, discolouration of drapes or the breathing circuit (Apfelbaum et al 2013, Blazquez & Thorn 2010, Jones et al 2019). The first signs of fire will be dependent on the cause and site of the fire.…”

“…Staff should be aware that in an oxidiser-enriched environment material that would not usually be considered flammable, including fire resistant material, can quickly ignite and burn (Culp et al 2013). High-risk procedures include: ear, nose and throat surgery, maxillofacial surgery, head or neck surgery, laser surgery, laparoscopic surgery and mediastinal surgery (Blazquez & Thorn 2010). A recent study by Tola et al (2018) from the US has shown that education can help improve knowledge and awareness of surgical fire safety amongst perioperative staff.…”