The highest quality of patient care is likely to include use of the Bair Hugger system. Now in use for almost 40 years, the Bair Hugger system has become standard procedure for patient warming. It is used in operating rooms daily by peri operative nurses, anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, and epidemiologists to prevent hypothermia in patients undergoing surgery. However, its inventor, Dr. Scott D. Augustine, is currently causing controversy. He warns that using the system, especially for patients undergoing knee and hip replacements, can prove hazardous.
