Cancer patient dies after being set on fire during surgery

[MillCreek]

https://nypost.com/2019/12/30/cancer-patient-accidentally-set-on-fire-during-surgery-in-romania/

There is a whole protocol that has grown up over the issue of surgical fires and burns.  It happens more often than you might think.  The drapes get set on fire, the patient is improperly grounded and gets electrical burns from the use of cautery, a hot cautery instrument is accidentally set down on the patient causing thermal burns, or the laser is triggered accidentally.

[Angel Eyes]

Sounds like they need better risk management.

[230RN]

“The surgeons should have been aware that it is prohibited to use an alcohol-based disinfectant during surgical procedures performed with an electric scalpel,” Deputy Health Minister Horatiu Moldovan added.

Jeeze, even i knowed dat.  'Murrikun lawyers woulda been all over them like a wet dream.



Aren't a lot of gaseous anesthetics pretty 'splodey?

[MechAg94]

How much alcohol based liquid would they use?  Were they bathing her in the stuff to the point of soaking into clothes and bed sheets?  Or maybe I should ask if they keep the skin wetted down right up the point of doing the surgery.

[230RN]

How much alcohol based liquid would they use?  Were they bathing her in the stuff to the point of soaking into clothes and bed sheets?  Or maybe I should ask if they keep the skin wetted down right up the point of doing the surgery.

I was kinda wondering about that.  Only thing I could think of is that alcohol usually burns without much of a flame, so I suppose it's possible nobody noticed the burning for long enough for it to be fatal.  Maybe there was just a major spill they couldn't handle.

We'll see, I guess.

Terry, 230RN

[MillCreek]

How much alcohol based liquid would they use?  Were they bathing her in the stuff to the point of soaking into clothes and bed sheets?  Or maybe I should ask if they keep the skin wetted down right up the point of doing the surgery.

Generally not, and when alcohol is used on the skin, it evaporates quickly.  I wonder if in this case, they inadvertently soaked the drapes, or had an alcohol-soaked sponge near the surgical field and once the cautery got close to the evaporating vapors, everything went fawoomp!

[brimic]

well, she was going to die anyway...

[K Frame]

I saw one years ago where the doctor was doing a lung surgery and the anesthesiologist didn't tell the doctor that he induced a flammable anesthesia gas.

When the doctor did a cautery, the patient literally exploded.  

[brimic]

 

[MillCreek]

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/madigan-army-medical-center-withdraws-appeal-sets-stage-for-payout-of-12-3m-to-child-burned-during-surgery/

A similar case happened locally, and the Federal judge awarded $ 12.3 million to the injured child and the family.

[MechAg94]

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/madigan-army-medical-center-withdraws-appeal-sets-stage-for-payout-of-12-3m-to-child-burned-during-surgery/

A similar case happened locally, and the Federal judge awarded $ 12.3 million to the injured child and the family.

That was a fire with an oxygen mask.  They were lucky his lungs weren't burned (story didn't mention that).  I would also have thought the monetary award would be over and above the actual medical costs.   

[MillCreek]

^^^We consider any flammable incident/injury in the OR to be a surgical fire, regardless of the cause.  Here, the child was undergoing surgery and a cautery ignited the oxygen flow via facemask.

[RoadKingLarry]

well, she was going to die anyway...

She beat cancer?

[brimic]

She beat cancer?

The surgical staff did.