Incêndio Cirúrgico, que realidade? – Estudo Exploratório

Abstract

Introduction: The principle of patient safety is to prevent and reduce unnecessary patient harm associated with healthcare. A surgical fire occurs in the patient or operating field following a surgical procedure and depends on the simultaneous combination of three elements: oxidiser, fuel and ignition source. The occurrence of a surgical fire in a Portuguese hospital centre prompted the need to carry out a diagnosis on this subject. Objectives: To carry out a situation diagnosis regarding nurses' knowledge and practices in detecting surgical fire risk factors and prevention measures; To identify areas for improvement and training needs on prevention and intervention in the event of a surgical fire. Material and Methods: exploratory study, through the application of a questionnaire to nurses who work in operating theatres. Results: 64 responses were obtained, highlighting that: 54.7% consider that the drying time for alcohol-based antiseptics is only sometimes or rarely adhered to; 25% report carrying out surgical procedures with a high risk of surgical fire at least once a week and 10% have already witnessed a surgical fire. Only 30 per cent of participants felt prepared to act in the event of a fire. Conclusion: Surgical fire is a high-risk event, which is why healthcare institutions and teams must develop interventions to detect risk factors and define risk prevention/mitigation strategies.