Lithium battery fires: implications for air medical transport

Lithium-ion batteries provide more power and longer life to electronic medical devices, with the benefits of reduced size and weight. It is no wonder medical device manufacturers are designing these batteries into their products. Lithium batteries are found in cell phones, electronic tablets, computers, and portable medical devices such as ventilators, intravenous pumps, pacemakers, incubators, and ventricular assist devices. Yet, if improperly handled, lithium batteries can pose a serious fire threat to air medical transport personnel. Specifically, this article discusses how lithium-ion batteries work, the fire danger associated with them, preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of a lithium battery fire, and emergency procedures that should be performed in that event.