Court Dismisses Suits Against Forced-Air Warming System

A federal court in Minnesota has dismissed over 5000 lawsuits against 3M Bair Hugger, disagreeing with assertions by plaintiffs that forced-air warming contributes to surgical site infections (SSI). A fallout between the inventor and the company he founded contributed to the acrimony and disparate recommendations surrounding this therapy. Ultimately, the judge agreed with a preponderance of published evidence, the FDA, and independent organizations such as ECRI in concluding the benefits of forced-air warming systems outweigh potential but unproven risks of SSI due to disruption of air currents.