Gel-based surgical preparation resulting in an operating room fire during a neurosurgical procedure: case report

Despite general reports of fires in the operating room, those during neurosurgical procedures are rare. The most significant contributor to perioperative fires is excess oxygenation. The consideration of novel gel-based surgical preparation solutions as potential fuel sources should be included in the literature. Given the significant patient risk and legal ramifications of surgical fires, education regarding operating room fires and the potential for prevention and treatment is requisite. The authors describe the case of an 18-month-old girl who, while undergoing a resection of a right retroauricular scalp mass, suffered partial thickness bums as a result of the ignition of surgical preparation solution following the use of monopolar electrocautery.