Aerophagia and Laser Surgery - Warning

[ChicagoGranny]

http://raycomgroup.worldnow.com/story/3 ... onfig=H264

[WearyOne]

.
And here are other sources for the story as well...

USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 ... /93105910/
Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation- ... 32917.html
New York Post http://nypost.com/2016/11/01/woman-badl ... g-surgery/
The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/mor ... ly-burned/

[chunkyfrog]

Probably just a cover-up.
The patient was being administered oxygen, the excess of which was not properly vented.
OR---the sugical team was passing the oxygen amongst themselves, having a party.
The fire was too large to be attributed to flatulence--I think improper use of oxygen is to blame.

[Guest]

While O2 does aid in combustion O2 alone is not combustible.

Probably just a cover-up.
The patient was being administered oxygen, the excess of which was not properly vented.
OR---the sugical team was passing the oxygen amongst themselves, having a party.
The fire was too large to be attributed to flatulence--I think improper use of oxygen is to blame.

[chunkyfrog]

O2 alone is not combustible, but it is a powerful oxidizer for almost anything else.
--Dressings, drapes, clothing, hair, and even skin can be fuel.
Remember the combustion triangle: fuel, oxidizer, and heat.
Add the heat from a surgical laser, and you got trouble!

[ButtermilkBuoy]

.
And here are other sources for the story as well...

USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 ... /93105910/
Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation- ... 32917.html
New York Post http://nypost.com/2016/11/01/woman-badl ... g-surgery/
The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/mor ... ly-burned/

All of these sources refer back to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Asahi Shimbun is the oldest and second largest newspaper in Japan. They have a good reputation. I sometimes pick up an English copy in the hotel when there on business.

[chunkyfrog]

Just because hospital spokespeople are generally considered believable
does not necessarily make them universally truthful.

[Gerald?]

I suspect no one really cares how true this story is, but feel free to read the external investigation committee's review into the incident if you have burning desire to get to the truth.

http://hospinfo.tokyo-med.ac.jp/news/sh ... 1028_1.pdf

Now it is in Japanese, but I suspect some of the people above would not be satisfied with a translated version.

[ChicagoGranny]

I suspect no one really cares how true this story is, but feel free to read the external investigation committee's review into the incident if you have burning desire to get to the truth.

http://hospinfo.tokyo-med.ac.jp/news/sh ... 1028_1.pdf

Now it is in Japanese, but I suspect some of the people above would not be satisfied with a translated version.

Thank you. Here is google translate of some of the investigation team's key findings:

As a result of the verification experiment, the highest possible possibility as an cause of fire is "
Intestinal gas (fart; methane gas, hydrogen and other combustible gases are included)
In the state of being introduced into the vagina, under certain limited conditions laser irradiation
Ignited by being burned from the vagina to the buttocks (near the anus) extensively
Finally, to ignite the small drape (covering cloth laid under the buttocks of the patient)
It was judged to be "connected".
6) Ignition of intestinal gas can not be confirmed under bright illumination, explosive combustion noise is also heard
There is a high possibility. The flame propagates at high speed, upstream against the flow of intestinal gas
There is a high possibility of going back. In addition to these, in the laser surgical instruments of this case similar

... and some of the corrective measures to be taken during future surgeries:

Based on this case, in the future, to sponge the possibility of ignition of intestinal gas
Necessary to take safety measures such as inserting into the anus or inserting moistened gauze

[ButtermilkBuoy]

I can see future hospital bills now:

Item #37 - Wet sponge for anus $812.39