In 1988, a new product was introduced for both patients who undergo surgery, as well as victims of hypothermia. That product was the 3M Bair Hugger warming blanket.

When a patient is placed under anesthesia, his or her body temperature drops and it can interfere with both bleeding and recovery time. The warming blanket helps maintain a patient’s body temperature to avoid those complications. However, the blanket is also responsible for thousands of patients developing life-risking infections.

The Bair Hugger works similar to a forced-air furnace by carrying warm air through a hose which is connected to a blanket that is placed over a patient. However, the inventor of the blanket has spent the past several years notifying hospitals and other organizations that this product is dangerous.

According to the product’s inventor, Dr. Augustine, the danger from using the blanket occurs when the air that is being circulated through the blanket becomes recirculated. This recirculated air is then directed back and circulates throughout the operating room—including under the surgical table. Bacteria is found in this recirculated air and it often ends up inside patients’ surgical incisions—which can cause dangerous infections such as sepsis and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These infections have proven to be difficult to treat.

When Dr. Augustine realized the danger of the Bair Hugger blanket, he invented another device, which also warms a patient, but does so without contaminating the operational theater. Critics of  Augustine argue that he is only claiming the product is dangerous because he no longer has a financial stake in the product—but he could make a substantial profit with his new invention in the event of a Bair Hugger recall and replacement product need.

However, there has been a significant increase in the number of lawsuits filed on behalf of patients who developed post-surgical infections and complications which were caused by the Bair Hugger. At particular risk are patients who have undergone hip and knee replacements

If you suffered complications or infections after undergoing surgery, contact an experienced Westport medical malpractice attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have for your pain and loss.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/business/25invent.html?_r=0

http://ringoffireradio.com/2015/07/use-of-bair-hugger-warming-blanket-during-hip-and-knee-replacement-surgery-could-unnecessarily-increase-risk-of-severe-infection

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) recently announced the results of the organization’s annual, unannounced brake check. The event, part of the CVSA’s Operation Airbrake program, was held on May 6^th in 32 different locations in the United States and Canada.

The unannounced event resulted in the inspections of 6337 commercial vehicles. Of those inspected, almost 10 percent were pulled off the road for excessive brake stroke violations. This means that the brakes of the vehicle were out of adjustment. Eight percent of vehicles were pulled for what was classified as brake component violations. These violations include air leaks, cracked or missing components, damaged brake hose or tubing, issues with drums or rotors.

In all, 14.2 percent of the vehicles inspected—approximately 900 commercial vehicles—were placed out of service because of unsafe brakes.

There were 111 vehicles inspected at the Connecticut location. Fourteen of those vehicles were place out of service for brake adjustment violations, 13 were pulled for brake component violations, and another 28 were put out of service for other brake issues.

The organization is now gearing up for its annual Brake Safety Week, which will take place from September 6^th through September 12^th. The event is held in partnership with U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The inspections will be performed by both federal and state inspectors, with the goal of identifying vehicles with out-of-adjustment brakes and brake-system violations.

According to the announcement released by the CVSA, inspectors will be looking for the following violations:

• Air or hydraulic fluid leaks;
• Worn drums, linings, pads, rotors, or other faulty brake-system components;
• Loose or missing brake-system components; and
• Issues of the vehicle’s antilock braking system (ABS) malfunction indicator lamps.

During last year’s Brake Safety Week, there were over 13,000 commercial vehicles inspected, resulting in 2,162 vehicles being pulled off the road.

The braking capacity of tractor-trailers (and other commercial vehicles) can be a significant factor in truck crashes. It takes a loaded truck 20 to 40 percent farther to come to a complete stop than it does for an automobile. Hence, it is critical for the braking systems of trucks to be in safe working order.

If you have been injured in a truck accident, please contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney today to find out what legal recourse you may have for your pain and loss.

A new study reveals that approximately 15,000 people die every year in this country from asbestos exposure.  People may be exposed to asbestos through their jobs, typically from materials used in the construction or utility industries. Although there has been a substantial decrease—which began in the 1980’s—in the amount of asbestos used in products, the effects of asbestos exposure can take decades to appear.

It is well-documented that asbestos exposure causes asbestosis (a chronic lung disease), lung cancer, and mesothelioma (cancer of the protective lining of the body’s organs).

The study analyzed records from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), from the years 1999 to 2013, of people who had died from either asbestosis or mesothelioma. Researchers also included death records of those who had died from lung cancer which was linked to asbestos exposure. There were a total of 20,317 deaths caused by asbestosis during that time period. The total number of deaths from mesothelioma was 39,870. Deaths from lung cancer during that time were between 127,579 and 159,480.

The study found that there were at least 2,000 to 5,000 more deaths every year from asbestos exposure than what had previously been reported.

Asbestos exposure has also been linked to ovarian cancer, cancer of the larynx, colon cancer, and stomach cancer; however, those death records were not included in the study. A former assistant surgeon general—who was not part of the research group—says that if you considered the number of deaths caused by those asbestos-causing diseases, the number of deaths from asbestos exposure is much higher than what the study found. Dr. Richard Lemen also points out that several studies have found much higher rates of lung cancer in asbestos-exposed workers than what has been reported by government and other organizations, adding to an even higher number of deaths.

If you have been diagnosed with a work-related illness, such as asbestosis, please contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against those responsible for your illness. For a free initial consultation about your case, call Attorney Richard H. Raphael at 203-226-6168 today.