Newsletter
Surgical Fires: Electrosurgical Cases
Dec 31, 2011
Patient Safety Alert 5: Surgical Fires: Electrosurgical Cases (PDF)
The AMC PSO has identified a series of practices employed to address the factors that can contribute to surgical fires.
Safety Strategies: Prevention
- Interventions should be directed at the entire team rather than the provider wielding the electrosurgical unit (ESU).
- Each member of the team must be constantly aware of changing risks during the case (e.g., patient shifting causing tenting that creates an oxygen rich environment) and be empowered to identify and address these risks.

AMC PSO
Our Patient Safety Organization convenes clinical leaders to identify and mitigate emerging risks.
Learn with us

More AMC PSO Content
Publications such as whitepapers and guidelines derived from the AMC PSO convenings.
Programmable Medical Equipment Risks and Interventions
Newsletter
The AMC PSO has identified a series of practices employed to address the factors that can contribute to risk associated with programmable medical devices.
Wrong Site Surgery Report
Newsletter
The AMC PSO has identified the a series of practices employed to address the factors that can contribute to a wrong-site surgery.
The Risks of Programmable Medical Equipment
Newsletter
The AMC PSO has identified a broad array of programmable medical devices and made several recommendations to decrease risk due to user fallibility, equipment complexity, and highly variable processes.
PCA Pump Alarm Safety Concerns
Newsletter
The AMC PSO has identified a series of practices employed to address the factors that can contribute to risk associated with ambulatory pumps.