APSF Fire Safety Video Effects Positive Change in Practice, Survey Finds

When asked if watching the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation’s (APSF) fire safety video changed how they selected patients to receive supplemental oxygen, 79.3% of anesthesia professionals who responded to an APSF survey indicated “Yes,” according to an article published in the Spring-Summer 2012 APSF newsletter. The video, Prevention and Management of Operating Room Fires, which was produced in association with ECRI Institute, emphasizes the potential role of supplemental oxygen in surgical flash fires. Before viewing the video, 37.8% of respondents indicated that they would administer supplemental oxygen by open delivery if needed to maintain an acceptable arterial oxygen concentration in patients undergoing operations at risk for surgical fires. Furthermore, only 12.8% of respondents indicated they would secure the airway in such patients.