Airway Fire During Left Internal Mammary Dissection in Cardiac Surgery: A Case Report

Abstract

Previous case reports describing fire during left internal mammary artery dissection involved patients with pulmonary blebs and did not involve the airway. We present a case of an airway fire, diagnosed by the sound of a pop, the appearance of a spark, and the development of an airway circuit leak in a patient with a 4-year-old tracheostomy scar who presented for coronary artery bypass with a left internal mammary artery. The case description is followed by a brief discussion of operating room fires and their management.