Home oxygen fires cause hundreds of patient deaths and thousands of injuries around the world every year. However, accurate data on the issue is patchy.
We know that in the US, where figures are routinely collated and analysed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are around 70 fatalities involving home oxygen equipment – accounting for around 3% of all deaths from home fires annually.
In addition, staff in emergency rooms treat nearly 1,200 cases of burns. The NFPA admits that the fatality figures are ‘likely underestimates’. A simple analysis of media reports also currently suggests that the number of incidents is one-and-a-half times higher.
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