No more backdoor drafts

FINALLY! The answer to the most vexing medical dilemma of our time. No, not cancer. Not  AIDS. I'm talking about those God awful hospital gowns that leave the backside a little...uh, exposed.

Arizant Healthcare Inc. of Eden Prairie has developed a fully covered hospital gown that features a built in warming system in which a device blows warm air through tiny holes in the garment.

Aside from preserving a patient's dignity, the gown also offers a real clinical benefit by reducing the risk of hypothermia during surgery.

From the company's press release:

Before surgery, the Bair Paws gown and warming unit “prewarm” patients, adding to the body’s heat content. This additional warmth helps to offset some of the temperature drop associated with anesthesia induction, which can fall nearly 1.6 °C4 within the first hour of surgery, putting a patient in a hypothermic range.

As the gown travels with the patient into the operating room, it can be connected to a more powerful Bair Hugger® warming unit, which provides clinical warmth to keep patients at a normal body temperature. After surgery, the patient can be warmed in recovery. Once conscious, patients can again utilize the handheld controller to maintain their own thermal comfort.

“The Bair Paws system delivers something positive for both patients and hospitals,” Arizant senior product manager Jami Collins said in a statement.  “It’s a cost-effective alternative to cotton gowns that addresses patient comfort concerns while also providing real clinical benefit. The gown’s warming capabilities, especially during surgery, help reduce unintended hypothermia and its serious and costly complications.”

Let's give it up for some home grown medical innovation!