Endotracheal Tube Fire during Tracheostomy: A Case Report

Electrosurgery in the presence of volatile anesthetic gases has been associated with operating-room fires. We report a case in which an operating-room fire occurred while an intubated patient underwent electrosurgical tracheostomy. The fire in this case was caused by a combination of an oxygen-rich...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ear, nose, & throat journal nose, & throat journal, 2002-02, Vol.81 (2), p.90-92
Main Authors: Awan, Mohammad Sohail, Ahmed, Imtinan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Burns - etiology
Causes of
Electrosurgery
Electrosurgery - adverse effects
Female
Fire
Fires
Humans
Intubation, Intratracheal - adverse effects
Medical sciences
Medicine
Mouth - injuries
Risk Factors
Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases
Surgery of the respiratory system
Trachea - injuries
Tracheostomy
Tracheotomy
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Description
Summary:Electrosurgery in the presence of volatile anesthetic gases has been associated with operating-room fires. We report a case in which an operating-room fire occurred while an intubated patient underwent electrosurgical tracheostomy. The fire in this case was caused by a combination of an oxygen-rich environment, a polyvinyl chloride tube, and heat generated by an electrosurgical unit. We also discuss factors that increase the risk of this type of fire and the management steps that should be undertaken in the event that such afire occurs, and we briefly review the literature on this subject.
ISSN:0145-5613
1942-7522
DOI:10.1177/014556130208100211