The Food and Drug Administration this week issued a safety communication reminding health care professionals of factors that increase the risk of surgical fires on or near a patient and offering recommendations to reduce these fires from occurring. Specific recommendations to reduce surgical fires include a fire risk assessment at the beginning of each surgical procedure; communication among surgical team members; safe use and administration of oxidizers, any devices that may serve as an ignition source and surgical suite items that may serve as a fuel source; and plan and practice how to manage a surgical fire. For more information, see the FDA safety communication.

Related News Articles

Headline
The Food and Drug Administration has identified Class I recalls for the following products due to the potential for serious injury or death:Certain lots of…
Headline
Randy Fagin, M.D., chief quality officer at HCA Healthcare, shares insights into the organization’s bold approach to improving safety outcomes. From piloting…
Headline
The AHA Quest for Quality Prize honors hospitals and health systems committed to leadership and innovation in improving quality and advancing health. Learn how…
Headline
A JAMA study published Aug. 20 found that nearly 63% of all U.S. drug production facilities from 2019 through 2024 were in counties where a weather disaster…
Blog
Read about the 2025 Quest for Quality Prize winner and finalist — and apply for the 2026 awardEach day, health care professionals across the U.S. leverage…
Perspective
Public
Hospitals and health systems across the country vary in size, as well as the types of services and specialties they offer. They also offer many different…