During surgery, doctor sets patient on fire

Investigators have blamed errors by doctors and operating room staff at New York University's Langone Medical Center (NYU) for a fire that broke out while a patient was undergoing surgery.

The incident occurred in December 2014. At that time, a medical device reacted with oxygen in the room, creating a spark that then flared into a fire that spread to the patient.

It is not yet clear how seriously injured the patient was in the fire. The patient’s name, the type of surgery, and the instrument that caused the fire have not been disclosed.

In a report by the New York State Department of Health, the incident occurred because of poor communication between surgeons and anesthesiologists. Additionally, the hospital was said to have lacked a plan to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

An estimated 550-650 operating room fires occur each year in the United States. Photo: ECRI INSTITUTE

Langone Medical Center staff told investigators they conducted a fire risk assessment before the surgery, but did not prepare detailed steps to put out the fire if it actually occurred.

The Health Department report accused Langone Medical Center of “failing to comply” with federal anesthesia and surgical regulations.

Following the incident, the medical center instituted new safety procedures, including changing the method of oxygen delivery during surgery to avoid the risk of fire. In addition, the center provided additional fire prevention training to staff.

An estimated 550-650 fires occur in operating rooms in the United States each year. Most occur when the oxygen concentration in the room is higher than normal room air and is delivered to the patient through a nasal cannula or oxygen mask.

According to The New York Post