Raizner Slania has filed a Bair Hugger staph infection lawsuit on behalf of a California man against 3M Company and Arizant Healthcare. The plaintiff suffered from a serious infection as a result of using the device.
In April 2015, the plaintiff underwent surgery during which the Bair Hugger device was used throughout the procedure. Most patients experience hypothermia during operations, which can increase bleeding risks and lengthen hospital stays. The Bair Hugger is composed of a heating device and a blanket with holes. The heating device sucks in air from the operating room, heats it, and pushes the air through the holes in the blanket to regulate the patient’s body temperature.
Because of the Bair Hugger’s design, it not only introduces warm air but also delivers contaminants straight into a patient’s open surgical wound. The contaminants introduced into the plaintiff’s wound during surgery caused him to develop a deep joint infection. The pathogens identified were staphylococcus aureus and rare gram positive cocci.
Staphylococcus aureus, commonly called staph, is bacteria present in the nose, respiratory tract, and on the skin. However, when staph bacteria presents on an artificial joint, the resulting infection is very difficult to treat. Ordinarily, when the body detects bacteria, it triggers a response from the immune system to fight the bacteria. However, the body can’t detect bacteria present on an artificial joint, so the immune system isn’t triggered and an infection quickly develops.
As a result of the staph infection caused by the Bair Hugger, the plaintiff was forced to undergo extensive medical treatment, including aspirations, incision and drainage, irrigation and debridement, PICC line antibiotics, and multi-staged revision and replacement surgeries, including insertion and removal of an antibiotic spacer.
Not only has the plaintiff suffered physically and emotionally from the infection, but he has also suffered economic damages due to the cost of the extensive medical treatment required to fight his infection. The plaintiff believes 3M and Arizant are in breach of express warranty and that the Bair Hugger device is defective in its design and manufacture.
Get Help With Your Bair Hugger Staph Infection Lawsuit
Patients who underwent hip and knee joint surgeries that utilized the Bair Hugger warming blanket had a right to know of the infection risks associated with the device. If you suffered a deep joint infection after hip or knee surgery within the last five years, the experienced Bair Hugger lawyers at Raizner Slania LLP can investigate your claim and pursue compensation on your behalf. Call us today to schedule a free consultation.