Four independent peer
reviewed studies have been published showing that forced-air patient warming
devices generate convection currents that disrupt the sterile field. One such study (McGovern, JBJS-br,
2011) even showed a 74% decrease in deep-joint infection rates after discontinuing the use of forced-air patient warming. They switched to air-free HotDog patient warming (1250 patients, 2.5 years).
Despite this strong evidence,
3M, the manufacturer of Bair Hugger® forced-air warming, has continued to
obfuscate and assure the world that its forced-air warming products are
universally safe. In a recent
letter to healthcare professionals, Bob Buehler, VP of 3M Patient Warming, even accuses us of “promoting a campaign designed to
instill fear through misleading claims.”
To be clear: we are educating
the healthcare community about a practice that puts orthopedic patients at risk
for infection. Every claim we make
is backed by science and published research. Our mission is to protect patients and to provide a safe,
effective, and affordable solution.
