Sally Andres and her orientee have returned from an airway fire simulation exercise with the otorhinolaryngologic surgeon,fellow,and anesthesia provider.They were amazed at the statistics for OR fires and the threat of serious injury to the patient and team.Patients undergoing otorhinolaryngologic procedures are at greater risk for fire injury because of the proximity of the surgical field to high concentrations of oxygen.The team discussed a plan to change their practices.An example of a risk reduction strategy that involves collaboration of the entire surgical team during otorhinolaryngologic surgery would be:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Specific recommendations that perioperative nurses caring for otorhinolaryngologic patients must consider include awareness of fire risk factors.The perioperative nurse and scrub person should collaborate before procedures to plan for fire risk and ensure that sterile saline is available on the surgical field,the holster is used for the active ESU electrode,and the volumes of music,conversation,and ambient room noise are reasonable so that the audio from the ESU or laser can be heard.A careful review of the facility protocol for handling fire in the OR,including verification of the location of fire pull alarms,extinguishers,and evacuation routes,is essential and should not be minimized.

Sally Andres and Her Orientee Have Returned from an Airway