Endotracheal tube fires during carbon dioxide laser surgery on the larynx--a case report.

Endotracheal tube (ETT) fire is a catastrophic disaster that may occur during laser surgery of the upper airway. Several means are available for protection of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tube from fire, but they are not perfect in prevention of fires caused by laser beam. The PVC tube is hazardous for carbon dioxide (CO2) laser surgery if it is not well wrapped with metallized foil tape. We report a case that a PVC ETT wrapped with aluminum foil ignited during CO2 laser surgery of the larynx. In this report, we emphasize the shaft of the PVC tube must be completely wrapped with aluminum foil to prevent exposure of any surface if it is used in CO2 laser surgery of the upper aero digestive tract.