Quality Conference to Address Deadly Fires During Surgery

Newswise — Increasingly frequent and unquestionably dangerous, surgical fires remain a low profile threat in every operating room in the United States. In an effort to change this, the American Academy of Otolaryngology " Head and Neck Surgery will host a forum for preventing and managing these accidents during the 2007 Quality in Otolaryngology Conference in Washington, DC.

The conference, to be held June 28-29, 2007, is the premier gathering for discussing safety and quality in the specialty.

Surgical fires occur over a hundred times a year, according to the Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI), often in oxygen-rich surgical environments, and can be sparked from a wide range of sources (lasers, drills, electro-cauterization instruments, etc.). One in five of these cases results in injuries to the patient; statistics show at least one or two of these fires will be fatal.

The session will discuss prevention and misconceptions, while opening a dialogue about evolving technology and how patient safety initiatives on the issue can be a part of the continuing efforts to provide top quality healthcare.

What: Preventing and Managing Surgical FiresWhere: Quality in Otolaryngology 2007, Washington, DCWhen: June 28-29, 2007

About the AAO-HNSThe American Academy of Otolaryngology " Head and Neck Surgery (www.entnet.org), one of the oldest medical associations in the nation, represents more than 12,000 physicians and allied health professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. The Academy serves its members by facilitating the advancement of the science and art of medicine related to otolaryngology and by representing the specialty in governmental and socioeconomic issues. The organization's mission: "Working for the Best Ear, Nose, and Throat Care."