Case reports: response to a partial power failure in the operating room

Failure of the power supply to the operating suites is a rare event. When it happens, it is critical that the care team responds in a way that optimizes patient safety. In the event we describe in this case report, only the emergency (red) power outlets failed. The anesthesia care team and other staff in the 8 affected rooms with anesthetized patients generally responded appropriately. The optimal response to these events is not necessarily intuitive. It is important to have advanced planning both within the immediate work area and beyond the operating room all the way into the hospital infrastructure.