For doctors at the university hospital in Tromso – a city in northern Norway with polar night from November to January – it was supposed to be another routine cardiac surgery. Was not.
The agent used to disinfect the patient’s skin includes alcohol. It did not have enough time to evaporate when the electric knife set in motion. The flammable substance ignited, as a result of which the patient woke up with third degree burns.
“ The incident showed that despite having very good procedures in place, accidents can happen, ” said Dr. Rolf Busund, the hospital’s medical director, admitting that the risk of a disinfectant catching fire when using an electric knife is known to Tromso surgeons, though never before. the event did not take place there.
In the United States, there were approximately 2013 similar accidents in 100.
Based on: The Local
Author: Tomasz Kobosz