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.
State of the Facilities Management Industry in 2025
City of Hope to Open New Cancer Specialty Hospital in California
Montefiore Einstein Opening New Inpatient Center for Youth in the Bronx
Skill Stacking: How Micro-Credentials Are Reshaping Trades
Prima Medicine Opens New Location in Tysons, Virginia