The Paradox of Forced-Air Patient Warming
Studies show that forced-air warming (FAW) reduces soft-tissue surgical infections. How can FAW be linked to increased deep-joint infections? The paradox is easy to explain: BIOFILM. A bacterium that lands on a prosthetic implant can secrete a coating of biofilm that protects it from both antibodies and antibiotics. Bacteria in soft-tissue cannot form effective biofilm coatings. [...]