A periprosthetic joint infection has led to a lawsuit against the makers of a forced air warming blanket, 3M Company and Arizant Healthcare, Inc.

Plaintiff Craig H. filed the lawsuit in Minnesota federal court joining the multidistrict litigation (MDL) pending against the manufacturers.

According to the lawsuit, Craig is from Maryland. He says that while undergoing a left total hip replacement surgery at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore on May 27, 2015, the Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming system was used.

However, “[c]ontaminants introduced into Plaintiff’s open surgical wound as a direct and proximate result of use of the Bair Hugger during the subject surgery resulted in Plaintiff developing a periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), also known as a deep joint infection (DJI),” alleges Craig in his lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence; strict liability including failure to warn and defective design and manufacture; breach of express warranty; breach of implied warranty, violation of the Minnesota Prevention of Consumer Fraud Act, which includes the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the Unlawful Trade Practices Act, and the False Advertising Act; negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, among others.

Craig demands a trial by jury.

Overview: Periprosthetic Joint Infection Lawsuit

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the makers of the Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming system over allegations of bacterial infections, like MRSA, following device use during surgical procedures. The Warming system is used to help regulate a patient’s body temperature during procedures, like a total knee replacement.

Patients report that they have had to undergo additional medical procedures due to Bair Hugger side effects, including:

• additional surgeries
• hospitalization
• physical Therapy
• amputation
• intravenous antibiotic treatment
• placement of an antibiotic spacer in the infected joint
• joint implant removal and revision

The Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming system was first introduced in 1988. Its purpose was to help keep patients warm during surgery, thus reducing recovery and bleeding time. However, serious side effects have been reportedly linked to the device.

One reason for this may be how to Bair Hugger blows hot air onto the surgical site. When the device emits air bacteria can be spread, increasing a patient’s risk for contraction of a bacterial infection.

In fact, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, researchers concluded that in the use of 58 percent of warming blankets, airborne contaminants were emitted onto a patient’s surgical site or wound. The study further found that despite sources advising that contaminants were viable, when it comes to knee or hip replacements, exceeded contamination levels are not necessary to develop a patient infection.

Craig alleges in his lawsuit that the manufacturers knew of the adverse side effects linked to the use of their device but failed to inform the medical community and the public.

The Periprosthetic Joint Infection Lawsuit is Case No. 0:18-cv-01747-JNE-FLN, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. The Bair Hugger MDL is MDL No. 15-2666 (JNE/FLN) in re: Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming Products Liability Litigation, in U.S. District Court District of Minnesota.