Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming Device Increases Risk of Infection During Surgery

Operating rooms across the country are using the Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming system on their patients during surgery, but reports are showing that the device greatly increases a patient’s risk of developing sepsis, MRSA, and other serious infections.

What is the Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming System?

The Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming system is used to help maintain the proper body temperature of the patient during a surgical procedure. It does this by channeling warm air to a blanket that is placed over the patient. Use of the system is supposed to lead to a faster recovery. It is currently estimated that the device has been used more than 160 million times in over 80 percent of U.S. hospitals. There are currently more than 50,000 units in use across the country.

It appears, however, that the device is doing more harm than good. A number of lawsuits have been filed that allege that the heat generated by the device can cause bacteria and contaminants from the operating room floor to be circulated through the air, putting patients at a greater risk of developing hospital-acquired infections. In some cases, patients have needed additional surgeries or limb amputations after being exposed to airborne bacteria.

Even the doctor who invented the device admits to the danger it poses and has advised doctors to stop using it, but many hospitals still do. Current lawsuits allege that there have been no efforts to redesign the product or sufficiently warn healthcare providers of the risks associated with its use. It is argued that the device does not meet current High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) standards that require air filtration devices to remove 99.97 percent of all airborne particles .30 microns or larger. The Bair Hugger FAW, it is alleged, is only capable of removing less than 65 percent of all such particles, putting patients with open surgical wounds in danger of contamination.

Bair Hugger FAW Can Cause Patients to Develop MRSA

One of the most common hospital-acquired infection is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. It is caused by a strain of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections, and is most often contracted in hospitals and other healthcare settings. MRSA is highly contagious and can cause a painful skin infection that can burrow deep into the body, causing further life-threatening infections in surgical wounds, bones, joints, the bloodstream, heart valves, or lungs. Because many strains are resistant to antibiotics, it can be difficult to treat. Current lawsuits allege that many doctors are aware of the link between the warming device and MRSA, but have done nothing about it.

Representation for Victims of Surgical Complications

If you or a loved one have developed an infection or other serious complication after a surgery where a dangerous medical device was used, contact our firm as soon as possible. The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Golomb & Honik, P.C. can help you determine your best legal options for collecting financial compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and other expenses related to your injury.

To set up your free consultation, please call (215) 278-4449.