Forced air warming in operation rooms has been inked to surgical site infections, according to an article on the Outpatient Surgery website.
Lawsuits suggest that a forced-air warming unit can disrupt the flow of sterile air inside an OR and stir up contaminants from the floor, thereby increasing the potential for infections.
Some healthcare facilities are currently investigating alternatives to forced air in light of the allegations.
For instance, Ohio Valley Surgical Hospital in Springfield, Ohio, employs both forced-air and conductive lightweight fabric warmed by low-voltage electricity to keep patients normothermic.
Technological Readiness: The Missing Construction Milestone
From Cooling Towers to Cost Savings: Hospital Seizes Power-Saving Opportunity
Community Health Center of Buffalo Reports Data Breach
CRAB Alert: The EVS Role in Preventing Infection
Why Hospital Waiting Rooms Aren't Going Away