Friday, February 7, 2014

Nursing Journal: Forced-Air Warmers May Allow Pathogens to Contact Surgical Wounds

October 10, 2013
   
AORN Journal, noting concerns about infection risk from forced-air warmers, called for multi-center, randomized, controlled trials. Evidence of bacteria in the air-flow paths of forced-air warmers; authors ask manufacturers to consider redesign.

In a continuing-education review article in the October issue of AORN Journal, published by the Association of Operating Room Nurses, the authors examined 192 sources.  Their conclusions included the following:

  • “Clinicians should take steps to prevent health care–associated infections from the use of forced-air warmers….”  Such steps include “routinely and meticulously” cleaning the devices.
  •  Forced-air warmers may interrupt the flow of filtered air toward the area of the wound and may allow dust particles containing pathogenic organisms to come into contact with the wound.
  •  Five separate studies suggested that forced-air warmers could be harboring bacteria or bacteria-containing particles.
Among the research considered by the authors was “Forced-air warming and ultra-clean ventilation do not mix: an investigation of theatre ventilation, patient warming and joint replacement infection in orthopaedics,” by UK orthopedic surgeon PD McGovern et al and published in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.  The research included 1,437 patients undergoing hip or knee replacement.  The “Finding and comments” of the AORN Journal authors included:

“High risk of developing deep infections for subjects warmed with forced-air warming systems (odds ratio, 3.8; P=.024).”