PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA-Surgical fires ranked high on ECRI Institute's 2008 list of "Top Ten Health Technology Hazards," and the issue continues to generate news headlines about tragic, disfiguring, and deadly accidents. Although rare-ECRI Institute estimates 550 to 650 surgical fire accidents occur annually in the States-hospitals should not consider themselves safe. Spending time on fire prevention, including conducting regular staff training sessions, is the number one recommendation for surgical fire prevention. With awareness of the hazards and emphasis on safe practices, virtually all surgical fires can be prevented.

ECRI Institute's Web Conference, Surgical Fire Safety Update: Best Practices for Prevention, on July 22, 2009, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. ET, will present fire prevention techniques and discuss real-world hospital fire experiences. Presenters will also cover:

* How surgical fires occur

* Tips on preventing fires
* Recommended methods for staff education and prevention
* New clinical initiatives for prevention

Speakers include:

* James P. Keller, Jr., MS, Moderator, Vice President, Health Technology Evaluation and Safety, ECRI Institute
* Albert L. de Richemond, MS, PE, Associate Director, Accident and Forensic Investigation Group, ECRI Institute
* Charles Cowles, MD, Anesthesiologist and Chief Safety Officer, Perioperative Services at University of Texas
* Ken Silverstein, MD, Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Christiana Care Health System

To learn more, or to register for this Web conference, visit www.ecri.org/webconference or contact ECRI Institute by telephone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5889; by e-mail at circulation2(at)ecri.org; by fax at (610) 834-0240; or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1298, USA.

ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to uncover the best approaches to improving patient care. As pioneers in this science for 40 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. ECRI Institute is designated a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization and an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. For more information, please visit www.ecri.org.

Watch for a report on surgical fires in the August 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News