Patient associated fire in theatre: are we ready to prevent and/or manage it? Assessment of the anaesthetist's knowledge in Lorraine

• Published in: Annales françaises d'anesthésie et de réanimation 2012-10, Vol.31 (10), p.773-777
• Main Authors: Crumière, P P, Albaladejo, R, De Saint Maurice, G, Trabold, F, Mc Nelis, U, Boileau, S, Bouaziz, H
• Format: Article
• Language: fre
• Subjects: Alcohols - chemistry; Anesthesiology - education; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disinfectants - chemistry; Electrosurgery; Fires - prevention & control; France; Health Care Surveys; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Nitrous Oxide - chemistry; Operating Rooms; Oxygen - chemistry; Patient Safety; Physicians; Risk; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1769-6623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.annfar.2012.04.026

To assess knowledge amongst anaesthetists as regards to fire involving surgical patients in Lorraine. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a postal questionnaire. A 22-item postal questionnaire was therefore sent to all anaesthetists working in Lorraine between January and March, 2011. One hundred and twenty-eight questionnaires were returned (response rate: 36%). Sixty-two percent of the respondents had never participated in fire safety training. Fifty percent could not recollect the location of the fire extinguisher in their surgical unit. Sixty-three percent ignored the existence of a memo written by the Afssaps summarizing how to use safely alcohol-based skin preparations in the presence of an electrosurgical unit. Sixty-five percent gave at least one incorrect response in grading the various modes of oxygen supply regarding the risk of fire. Only 48% were able to identify the surgeries which posed the greatest fire risk. In such cases, 40% of respondents were not aware that a FiO(2) should be maintained below 30%, 43% that the use of nitrous oxide was forbidden and 32% that it was necessary to respect a drying time after the application of an alcohol-based solution. Concerning the management of a fire, most of the answers were correct. Finally, 97% of the respondents wished to be better informed on this particular topic. Our survey underlines a lack of knowledge amongst anaesthetists towards the risk of patient associated fire in theatre.