Preventing Dental Surgical Fires: Characterizing Nasal-Cannulated Supplemental Oxygen Pooling in an In Situ Dental Procedure.

Objectives: Surgical operatory fires continue to occur in the United States, often with devastating consequences. Because more than 21% concentrations of oxygen are necessary for the onset of such combustion, this study examined fluctuations of surgical site oxygen levels. Better understanding how these more than 21% concentrations occur will not only add to surgical fire prevention efforts generally but also potentially reduce patient or staff harm and practitioner liability as well.