3M Company and Arizant HealthCare are facing a new warming blanket lawsuit, which was filed by a woman from California alleging she developed a deep joint infection.

This warming blanket lawsuit is joining a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL), which consists of product liability claims from patients alleging they also developed deep joint infection after the Bair Hugger warming blanket was used for their surgeries.

Plaintiff Geraldine S. filed warming blanket lawsuit, after discovering that the Bair Hugger warming blanket was associated with an increased risk of deep joint infection.

The Bair Hugger warming blanket is a warming device consisting of a disposable blanket, which is connected to a portable heater that blows hot air onto patients’ skin. This is to regulate the patient’s body temperature, which has been shown to reduce bleeding and quicken the pace of recovery. The Bair Hugger has been on the market since 1988, and has been used in numerous surgeries ever since.

Given how common the Bair Hugger warming blanket is used in the medical community, Geraldine says she had no reason to be wary of potential complications like deep joint infection. According to the warming blanket lawsuit, the Bair Hugger device was used during Geraldine’s total right hip replacement surgery on Aug. 2, 2016.

Geraldine reportedly developed a deep joint infection soon after the surgery, which was so severe that she had to have her prosthetic hip surgically removed. According to the warming blanket lawsuit, Geraldine had to have an antibiotic spacer implemented and had to undergo wound vac treatment on June 27, 2017.

Geraldine also had to undergo prolonged antibiotic treatment to help treat the infection. Geraldine opted to file this warming blanket lawsuit after discovering other patients suffered similar complications, and that recent studies had found an increased risk of deep joint infection.

Overview of Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Infection

Recent studies have found that Bair Huggers and warming blankets may collect bacteria from contaminated areas of the operating room and blow them onto the patient’s open surgical wound. One of these studies was a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, which found that 58 percent of forced air warmers had produced and emitted airborne bacteria.

Researchers believe this is because Bair Huggers and other warming blankets may disrupt the sterile airflow in the environment, due to the devices causing temperature differences that cause convection currents.

These convection currents may draw air from non sterile areas in the environment like the floor, which collects bacteria and exposes the surgical site to potential infection. Even though deep joint infection can be devastating to patients, plaintiffs like Geraldine claim 3M and Arizant allegedly failed to disclose this information to the general public.

Geraldine states that she would not have agreed to have the Bair Hugger device used in her surgery if she had known the risk of deep joint infection.

Geraldine’s warming blanket lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2666, where it will stand alongside other claims alleging deep joint infection.

This Warming Blanket Lawsuit is Case No. 0:18-cv-01878-JNE-FLN, in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota.