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Chapter 6 - Electrical, Fire, and Explosion Hazards: Basic Electronics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2025

By
Andrew J. Schwartz
Edited by
Dharti Patel ,
Sang J. Kim ,
Himani V. Bhatt  and
Alopi M. Patel
Dharti Patel
Affiliation:
Mount Sinai West and Morningside Hospitals, New York
Sang J. Kim
Affiliation:
Hospital for Special Surgery, New York
Himani V. Bhatt
Affiliation:
Mount Sinai West and Morningside Hospitals, New York
Alopi M. Patel
Affiliation:
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey
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Summary

Although there has been a decrease in incidence of operating room fire since the advent of less flammable anesthetic agents, operating room fire still presents the potential for catastrophic events, causing significant patient morbidity and mortality. With some sources sighting as many as 700 reported operating room fires annually with greater than 500 that are either underreported or near misses, the true number of OR fires is unknown as there is no mandatory reporting to a centralized registry.  This chapter will cover the various causes of operating room fire: electrical, fire and explosion hazards. Additionally, this chapter will provide a basic understanding of prevention, risk stratification, and management techniques for an operating room fire.

Keywords

Electrical: staticgroundingLine Isolation Monitor (LIM)Micro current hazardsMacro current hazardsFire triangle: fueloxidizerignition sourceOperating room fire preventionAirway Fire Prevention
Type
Chapter
Information
BASIC Essentials
A Comprehensive Review for the Anesthesiology BASIC Exam
 , pp. 31 - 34
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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