Raizner Slania has filed a Bair Hugger staph infection lawsuit on behalf of a Kentucky man against 3M Company and Arizant Healthcare. The Kentucky man claims 3M and Arizant did not warn him of the infection risk associated with the Bair Hugger device.
In April 2017, the plaintiff underwent surgery during which the Bair Hugger warming blanket was used throughout the scope of his procedure. The Bair Hugger is used to regulate a patient’s body temperature during operations. Without regulating body temperature, most patients would experience hypothermia during surgery. However, the design of the Bair Hugger device causes contaminants from the operating room air to be dispersed over the patient and directly into their surgical wounds. Contaminants introduced into the plaintiff’s open surgical wound caused him to develop a periprosthetic joint infection or PJI. The pathogen identified was Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly referred to as MRSA, is a type of the common Staph infection resistant to antibiotics. MRSA is often called a superbug because of the difficulty in treating the infection. Oftentimes, patients who suffer a MRSA joint infection have to undergo additional surgeries to replace infected joints. MRSA is life-threatening and can cause very severe complications including pneumonia, sepsis, and bloodstream infections.
As a result of the infection caused by the Bair Hugger device, the plaintiff was forced to undergo multiple irrigation and debridement surgeries, multi-staged revision surgeries including insertion and removal of an antibiotic spacer, and PICC line antibiotics, among other treatments.
The plaintiff has suffered greatly from the MRSA infection caused by the Bair Hugger. Not only has he suffered physically, but he has also suffered economically with the extensive medical bills. The plaintiff believes 3M and Arizant breached express warranties and that the companies committed consumer fraud and/or engaged in deceptive or unfair trade practices.
Bair Hugger Staph Infection Lawsuits
Hip or knee joint infections can cause life-threatening complications. Patients who underwent surgery with the Bair Hugger had a right to know all of the risks associated with the device. If you or someone you love suffered a hip or knee joint infection after surgery, the experienced medical device attorneys at Raizner Slania LLP can help. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your case.
