AANA journal
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Forced-air warmers have been used for over twenty years to help prevent and treat inadvertent perioperative hypothermia. One result of hypothermia can be an increased risk of surgical site infection. ⋯ Three reviews have been published and none of these condemned the use of forced-air warmers in the operating room including with patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. Clinicians must continue to seek information about this problem from peer-reviewed journals and not rely on interpretation by others such as manufacturers.