than 600 cases have been dismissed.
"Our case is strong because the science is on our side," says 3M in a
statement to Outpatient Surgery.
Dr. Augustine says that doctors shouldn't wait for the courts to
determine that forced-air warming is safe. At the same time, he knows
a 3M loss in court could mean big things for his business.
"I think there's no question that forced-air is going to go away," he
says. "There's 5,000 suits. All they have to do is lose one, and it's game
over."
He adds: "The world is moving to electric (warming). We happen to
have the best electric system."
What the research says
The research into the Bair Hugger's role in SSIs is a minefield of con-
flicts and competing interests. Both sides can point to research that
bolsters their point of view, but it's important to read the fine print.
In a November 2011 study published in The Journal of Bone &
Joint Surgery, researchers found that forced-air warming had "signifi-
cant and disruptive impact on the clean airflow patterns over the sur-
gical site compared to conductive fabric warming, which had no
noticeable effect." The study, often called the McGovern study, was
co-authored by Mark Albrecht, who worked as a statistician for Dr.
Augustine's company at the time.
"It's unfortunate, if you want to call them research studies, that they
ever saw the light of day," says Victoria M. Steelman, PhD, RN, CNOR,
FAAN, an associate professor at the University of Iowa College of
Nursing in Iowa City, who disclosed that she has received payment
from 3M for patient warming presentations.
Dr. Augustine concedes there are some inherent conflicts in the
research process, but he bristles at 3M's notion that he's pushing junk
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