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The “bair hugger 675” is a law firm that specializes in hospital-acquired hip and knee infection cases. They provide legal advice and representation for patients who have suffered such infections as a result of the care they received from their doctor or hospital.
Bair Hugger devices may transmit germs from the operating room floor, putting patients at risk of illness.
During operation, Bair Hugger blankets employ heated air to keep patients warm. Since the 1980s, the devices have been utilized in operating rooms throughout the nation, but evidence shows that they may increase the risk of infection in patients, especially deep joint infections. Some patients have filed a lawsuit against 3M, alleging that Bair Hugger blankets contributed to the development of a dangerous hospital-acquired illness.
ClassAction.com can assist you if you got an infection after a Bair Hugger device was used in your knee or hip replacement surgery. To learn more, contact us for a free case evaluation.
Please contact us right away.
The Importance of Warming Patients
Hypothermia is a condition that occurs when a patient’s body temperature drops due to a combination of anesthesia, a chilly operating room, IV fluids, and an open incision. Even minor hypothermia may result in consequences for patients, such as blood loss, surgical site infection, heart issues, and a longer recovery time.
Surgical warming devices are one of the most common ways to maintain a healthy patient’s body temperature and are one of the most effective ways to avoid hypothermic problems. Warm IV fluids, conductive warming devices, warming blankets, circulating water garments, and forced air warming are all options for patient warming.
What Is Bair Hugger Therapy and How Does It Work?
Forced air warming is used in Bair Hugger patient warming treatment.
The gadgets are made up of two components: a portable heater/blower unit and a disposable blanket with rows of inflated tubes that is placed over (or beneath) surgical patients. The warming device sucks in ambient air, warms it to a certain temperature, and then pumps the warmed air into the blanket through a hose. Warm air is distributed around the patient’s body thanks to perforations in the blanket.
The Issue with Patient Warming by Forced Air
Bair Hugger devices have been criticized for stirring up pollutants from the operating room floor and spreading them to the surgical site. Numerous scientific investigations back up these accusations.
Because of the way Bair Hugger devices interrupt air currents, they are said to pose an infection risk. It’s said that the device’s waste heat collects underneath the operating table, creating convection air currents that collect microorganisms from the operating room floor and deposit them in the sterile surgical field.
Device Risks, According to Research
The safety flaws of Bair Hugger devices have been documented in several peer-reviewed scientific research.
One of the most recent studies, published in The Bone & Joint Journal, found that the Bair Hugger’s convection air currents boost particle concentration by 1,000 times.
“Waste heat caused turbulence above the patient by generating convection currents to rise against the downward unidirectional airflow.” “By bringing potentially contaminated particles from underneath the operating table onto the surgical site, the convection currents boosted the particle concentration 1000-fold,” the researchers reported.
- The design of forced-air warming devices like the Bair Hugger, according to a 2010 research published in the American Journal of Infection Control, fails to prevent the development and release of microbial pollutants in the operating room, increasing the risk of cross-infection.
- Forced air warmers “emit more than simply hot air,” according to a 2009 research published in Orthopedic Reviews, and its design “is problematic for limiting the emissions of airborne contaminants.”
- According to a 2011 research, “Forced-air warming and ultra-clean ventilation do not mix,” force-air warming dramatically increases the risk of deep joint infection as compared to air-free warming.
Other studies in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Anesthesia & Analgesia, and Anaesthesia have reached similar findings.
Hold 3M to account
Inventor of Bair Hugger Speaks Out Against Device
One of the most outspoken detractors of the Bair Hugger is the guy who brought it to market.
Dr. Scott D. Augustine created the Bair Hugger in the 1980s, however he has since advocated against using it for specific procedures, such as artificial heart valve implantations and joint replacements.
Because of the high risk of infection, the Bair Hugger “should never be used on another orthopedic patient.”
“I am quite proud of the old technology,” Augustine, who is pitching a new patient warming gadget that he claims is safer than Bair Hugger, told the New York Times. But I’m also glad of bringing attention to the fact that there is an issue.”
According to Augustine, the infection risk is so great that the Bair Hugger “should never be on another orthopedic patient.”
Bair Hugger Receives FDA Approval Through Controversial Program
When Augustine was CEO of Augustine Medical, Inc., which eventually became Arizant, he invented the Bair Hugger. In 2010, 3M acquired Arizant and, with it, the rights to Bair Hugger.
The Bair Hugger Patient Warming System was approved by the FDA under the 510(k) protocol in November 1987. Devices that are judged to be “substantially comparable” to those currently on the market are subjected to little or no testing on real patients under this scheme. In other words, 510(k)-approved products like the Bair Hugger may hit the market without going through rigorous safety and effectiveness testing.
Augustine Medical/Arizant received 14 more Bair Hugger certifications from the FDA between 1990 and 1996, all under the 510(k) procedure.
None of the Bair Hugger devices had to be tested since they were all predicated on “substantial equivalence” to predicate devices. The New England Journal of Medicine, among other prestigious publications, has spoken out against the 510(k) procedures’ flaws. It is “impossible for 510(k) approval to ensure safety and efficacy, since it examines neither,” according to NEJM authors in a 2011 report.
Products by Bair Hugger
Bair Hugger warming devices and blankets are manufactured by 3M. Currently, over 50,000 Bair Hugger systems are in use in hospitals throughout the country.
Warming Units for Bair Huggers
- 505 is a model.
- 750 model
- 775 is the model number.
Blankets for Bair Huggers
| Intraoperative | Underbody | Pediatric | Cardiology & Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Body (Model 522)Upper Body (Model 522)Upper Body (Model 522)Upper Body (Model (Model 523 XL)
Legs and Feet (Model 525) The torso is the backbone of the body (Model 540) Torsos on each sides (Model 542) |
Children’s Underwear (Model 555) Large Underbody for Children (Model 550)
Underbody of an adult (Model 545) Underbody of the spine (Model 575) Underbody Lithotomy (Model 585) Access to the Underbody (Model 635) Full Access Underbody Sterile (Model 637) |
Model 537 (Small Lower Body)Pediatric Long (Model 530) | With boots, I’m impatient (Model 110) Outpatient treatment (Model 111)
Cath Lab is an acronym for catheterization laboratory (Model 560) Access to the Operating Room (Model 570) Surgical Treatment for the Entire Body (Model 610) Cardiac Sterile (Model 630) Cardiac Surgical Access (Model 645) |
3M.com is the source for this information.
Infections acquired in hospitals are very dangerous.
A single airborne microbe may contaminate the surgical site after joint replacement surgery and induce a deep joint infection, which can be fatal. The prosthetic joint may need to be removed, followed by a lengthy stay in the hospital, antibiotics for up to two months, and then another joint replacement operation. Infected joints cause extreme pain and suffering, as well as irreversible impairment in certain circumstances. Amputation may be required, and these infections may be fatal if left untreated. Treatment for a joint infection might cost $100,000 or more.
Hospital-acquired infections are a growing issue, especially as the frequency of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other antibiotic-resistant “super bugs” rises.
Bair Hugger Lawsuits are a threat to 3M.
Some patients who had surgery using a Bair Hugger warming blanket are now suing 3M, saying that the gadget caused them to get an infection, which led to significant and expensive health consequences. They further allege that 3M was aware of the infection risk presented by its forced air warming blankets but failed to disclose this information to the public or make product improvements to lessen the danger. As part of a multidistrict action, more than 800 Bair Hugger claims have been consolidated in federal court (MDL).
We can assist you if you developed an infection after a procedure, particularly a knee or hip replacement surgery. To book a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation, contact ClassAction.com.
Free Case Evaluation
The “bair hugger recent news” is a blog about hospital-acquired hip and knee infections. The blog discusses the latest news in legal cases, including the lawsuit against Bair Hugger.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bair Hugger concept?
A: The Bair Hugger is the main character of a comic called Bair. Its a gag strip that makes fun of various characters from other Nintendo games. Its creator, Brian Anderson, has stated on his website
that he had been making it since 2002.
Which side of Bair Hugger goes on patient?
A: The right side.
How much does a Bair Hugger cost?
A: A Bair Hugger will cost you $10.
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