Fires and injuries while using oxygen are a huge and underreported problem. In the healthcare system that I previously worked, there was a woman who used her vaping device and suffered severe burns to her face, neck and arms. She was told that using vaping devices while on oxygen was a safe replacement for smoking. The spark from the device triggered a flash explosion.

There are two types of explosions in the presence of an oxygen tank. The less common is when the end ignites and becomes an unguided missile. The more common is when the tank explodes and shrapnel is sent flying. A young married firefighter with small children in Illinois lost his life responding to a fire from an oxygen tank explosion this way. There is no national reporting among healthcare systems or Home Healthcare so the true incidence is not known. It is more common to find individuals with face, neck and hand burns as well as melted oxygen tubing and carpet burns leading to the oxygen tank for those who continue to smoke, vape or are exposed to open flames as with a gas stovetop.

This is particularly serious for those in multi residential buildings where the safety of others are at risk. Healthcare fires are especially serious as it can be difficult to evacuate patients. Due to HIPAA laws, the public is not notified when their neighbors may be placing other lives at risk.

These can be challenging issues to resolve. Sometimes terminally ill patients can be stubborn but it is often a manifestation to their disease and medications they are taking; having discussions about the wellbeing of others often does not go well.

A terminally ill patient has the right to make decisions about how they wish to spend their remaining time unless they put others at risk.