Bair Hugger Warming Systems May Create Ideal Conditions for Bacterial Growth

Bacteria are extremely rugged organisms, capable of growing and spreading in a variety of conditions. Bacteria have been around for millions of years, and are amongst the earliest forms of life. Constantly adapting for survival, bacteria can be difficult to eradicate, particularly those that have become resist to the antibiotics long used to treat these types of infections.

Though bacteria are shockingly resilient, their growth can be contained, but there are certain conditions that allow them to thrive more easily, including:

• Temperate conditions
• Moist conditions
• Conditions with large amounts of oxygen or food sources

Human wounds are at particular risk of infection, as the moisture and warmth of the human body is very attractive to bacteria. Proper antiseptic treatment of injuries can reduce these risks, but any open cut has the potential to get infected. This is why proper sanitation of surgical environments and implements is so important, as surgical incisions allow the entry of bacteria into the body.

The Bair Hugger Warming System has been in use since 1987. The device is intended to help manage the body temperature of surgical patients. To do so, the system blows warm air over the patient. This often includes blowing air over areas of the body that have been cut into as part of the surgery.

As previously established, bacteria thrive in warm, wet conditions. The human body is already mostly water, and the warm air from the Bair Hugger System (which may also be contaminated by bacteria sucked into the machine from other parts of the room) provides an ideal environment for infections.

If you or someone you love suffered a post-surgical infection, determining the cause of the infection is important. If a Bair Hugger Warming System was used, evaluating whether or not that contributed is key. Please consider consulting with an experienced attorney about your case. A qualified lawyer can guide you through the process of determining went wrong in the operative or post-operative environment.