Defining A Bair Hugger Warming Blanket

The Bair Hugger warming blanket is manufactured by 3M and is a medical device that is often used to help maintain and stabilize a patient’s body temperature during a surgical procedure. Because of the effects of anesthesia a patient’s body temperature can drop to unsafe levels during surgery, and the Bair Hugger blanket helps maintain internal body temperature by moving warm air over the patient, which prevents the body from entering into hypothermia. This helps patients heal much faster from lengthy and invasive procedures, and the Bair Hugger warming blanket is used in almost every major hospital in the country.

Every year thousands of people undergo orthopedic surgical procedures to replace hip or knee joints, along with countless other procedures. For many of these patients, they are treated with a forced air-warming blanket manufactured by 3M, known as the Bair Hugger. However, while this medical device provides a substantial medical benefit, it can also cause severe and even life-threatening infections and injuries.

If you or a loved one was treated with a Bair Hugger blanket following surgery and have subsequently developed a serious or life-threatening infection contact a Bair Hugger lawyer to discuss your case. An experienced personal injury attorney can help determine if a Bair Hugger warming blanket contributed or caused an infection, and can help file a lawsuit to recover compensation for your injuries.

COMPLICATIONS WITH FORCED AIR BLANKETS

Warming blankets and forced air blankets certainly help patients recover from surgeries much faster, however, while these blankets are incredibly useful there are some dangers and complications that can arise while using these blankets. Because the blankets work by pushing warm air over the patient’s body, these blankets can actually pull pathogens and germs from the operating room and into the surgical site on a patient’s body. In addition, because the blankets push air below the surgical table, the forced air can cause bacteria and other harmful contaminants to become airborne and also find their way to a surgical site. Because surgical sites are inherently an open wound in the body, a patient is at risk for developing an infection from any bacteria or pathogen that enters the surgical site.

SIDE EFFECTS OF 3M BAIR HUGGERS

The main concern with the Bair Hugger blanket is that the forced air system that these blankets use can cause bacteria and other contaminants to enter a patient’s body and thereby cause infection. A patient who has been exposed to bacteria during surgery may experience some of the following complications:

Contacting a Lawyer

If you or a loved one has developed a serious or life-threatening infection following a surgical procedure where a Bair Hugger warm air blanket was used, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and pain and suffering. Contact a Bair Hugger lawyer to discuss your case, and how they can help you and your family recover and hold companies liable.

POTENTIAL COMPENSATION

In cases where an injury or infection is caused by a Bair Hugger blanket, a Bair Hugger lawyer can help determine if you are entitled to compensation for:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Disability payments
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages, both past, and future
  • Wrongful death, including funeral and burial expenses
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