Study: Surgical Fires Are Rare, But Greater Awareness Is Needed

​Surgical fires remain rare but can have devastating consequences that organizations must be aware of, according to a September 17, 2018, article in Dermatologic Surgery. The authors analyzed data from surgeon reports of 886,200 cases of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). MMS is a procedure used to treat skin cancer. Nine of 80 participating surgeons (11%) reported at least one surgical fire. The incidence of surgical fire during MMS was estimated at one fire for every 88,620 cases. The most common site of surgical fire was the scalp (67% of cases).