No Evidence of Increased Infection Risk with Forced-Air Warming Devices: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Forced-air warming devices have been reported to present a potential risk for surgical site infections (SSIs) and periprosthetic joint infections. Due to a lack of consensus, we reviewed the infection risk of forced-air warming devices.
Materials and Methods: A systematic literature review was performed, evaluating overall infection risk and bacterial load. A total of eight studies reporting outcomes from 1,965 subjects were included.
Results and Conclusions: There is no current evidence in the orthopaedic literature that forced-air warming devices translate to increased SSIs. Accordingly, these devices should continue to be used for the maintenance of intraoperative normothermia.