Numerous patients have reported that they have been severely injured by the 3M Bair Hugger forced air warmer blanket.

A product that is meant to help patients control their body temperatures after knee or hip replacement surgeries, the Bair Hugger was touted as a way to speed up recovery time following surgery. However, studies indicate that forced air warmers may cause more harm than good.

The Bair Hugger blanket is a clean, disposable product that is connected to a portable heater, which blows hot air onto the patient’s skin. This helps reduce the risk of bleeding, helps regulate body temperature and has been proven to improve recovery time.

It was approved by the FDA in 1988 to be a body temperature aid for patients under anesthesia and has proven to be widely successful in surgical practices.

However, it has been alleged in several lawsuits that Bair Hugger can cause bacteria to spread in the surgical site, increasing the chances of deep joint infections.

According to a 2012 study published in Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, and two 2013 studies published in Bone & Joint Journal and Anesthesia & Analgesia, forced-air warming significantly increased the number of airborne particles over the surgical cite. The studies did not conclude the additional particles carried bacteria, but they found the increased particles a cause for concern.

A 2011 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found 58% of the forced-air warmers studied (including the Bair Hugger) produced and emitted airborne contaminants. Although the study did not determine whether the contaminants were viable, it observed that high levels of contamination are not necessary to cause an infection when dealing with a hip or knee replacement.

A 2010 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that forced air warming devices that used a Bair Hugger filter failed to prevent buildup or emission of contaminants into operating rooms. The study also found that 58% of the 52 investigating Bair Hugger warmers generating and emitted contaminants into the air.

Plaintiffs in lawsuits against the manufacturers of Bair Hugger allege that the device blows contaminated hot air onto the patient’s open surgical wounds, which puts them at risk for hospital injuries like deep joint infections.

The manufacturing company, 3M, and its subsidiaries have already been hit with several Bair Hugger lawsuits, alleging that their product caused severe infections. The Bair Hugger lawsuits claim that there were no warnings or precautions on the product’s label, despite the company being allegedly aware of the risks since 2009.

Overview of Bair Hugger allegations

To treat these infections, patients report that they have to undergo multiple correction surgeries and have had to have their knee or hip replacement devices removed. One patient who filed a lawsuit alleges he had to have his leg amputated due to the complications allegedly caused by the Bair Hugger.

Due to how serious these allegations are, experts are predicting an impending litigation movement against 3M for Bair Hugger complications.