ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge amongst anaesthetists as regards to fire involving surgical patients in Lorraine. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a postal questionnaire. METHOD: A 22-item postal questionnaire was therefore sent to all anaesthetists working in Lorraine between January and March, 2011. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-eight questionnaires were returned (response rate: 36%). Sixty-two percent of the respondents had never participated in fire safety training. Fifty percent could not recollect the location of the fire extinguisher in their surgical unit. Sixty-three percent ignored the existence of a memo written by the Afssaps summarizing how to use safely alcohol-based skin preparations in the presence of an electrosurgical unit. Sixty-five percent gave at least one incorrect response in grading the various modes of oxygen supply regarding the risk of fire. Only 48% were able to identify the surgeries which posed the greatest fire risk. In such cases, 40% of respondents were not aware that a FiO(2) should be maintained below 30%, 43% that the use of nitrous oxide was forbidden and 32% that it was necessary to respect a drying time after the application of an alcohol-based solution. Concerning the management of a fire, most of the answers were correct. Finally, 97% of the respondents wished to be better informed on this particular topic. CONCLUSION: Our survey underlines a lack of knowledge amongst anaesthetists towards the risk of patient associated fire in theatre.
