Investigators say a patient who was smoking while using oxygen caused a fire that injured both the patient and a staff member at Sanford Medical Center in downtown Fargo last week.
Fire chief Steve Dirksen says the combination of pure oxygen and open flame is extremely volatile. He says it was quick response by hospital employees that prevented a much more serious situation.
The exact nature of the injuries has not been disclosed because of the patient confidentiality law.
Hospital employees who responded to a smoke alarm early Thursday in the room rescued the patient, had the fire out when firefighters arrived and evacuated patients in nearby rooms. Damage to the room was minor.
The above recent news articles shows how dangerous it is. Oxygen is flammable and patients need to be aware of the dangers faced when using this medical home treatment.
Fire chief Steve Dirksen says the combination of pure oxygen and open flame is extremely volatile. He says it was quick response by hospital employees that prevented a much more serious situation.
The exact nature of the injuries has not been disclosed because of the patient confidentiality law.
Hospital employees who responded to a smoke alarm early Thursday in the room rescued the patient, had the fire out when firefighters arrived and evacuated patients in nearby rooms. Damage to the room was minor.
The above recent news articles shows how dangerous it is. Oxygen is flammable and patients need to be aware of the dangers faced when using this medical home treatment.
