• Carlos Eduardo David de Almeida, Erick Freitas Curi, Renato Brezinscki, and Rafaela Claudino de Freitas.
• Anesthesiology Service, Hospital Universitário Cassiano Antônio Moraes, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil. cedalmeida@terra.com.br
• Rev Bras Anestesiol. 2012 May 1; 62 (3): 432-8.

Background And ObjectivesThere are several factors in operating rooms that increase the risk of fire. Besides being an oxygen-enriched environment, it contains combustible materials and equipment with available ignition sources. Although fires in operating rooms are a relatively rare event, the consequences are potentially serious and mostly avoidable. We present a case report of a fire occurring in the surgical drape during a blepharoplasty in which oxygen was supplemented by nasal catheter.Case ReportFemale patient, 52-years old, without comorbidities, admitted to hospital for a bilateral blepharoplasty. After monitoring and venoclysis, the patient underwent intravenous sedation and additional oxygen given via spectacle-type catheter at a flow rate of4 L.min(-1), followed by local anesthesia in the eyelids. During surgery, the use of electric scalpel provoked combustion in the surgical drapes and burns on the patient's face.ConclusionsAnesthesiologists play an important role preventing fire in operating rooms, as they can recognize possible ignition sources and rationally administer the oxygen, especially in open systems. The first step toward prevention is to be constantly aware of potential fire.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

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