Patient warming

Perioperative hypothermia is a common but preventable complication of surgical procedures.

After induction of general anaesthesia, it is not uncommon that the patient’s core body temperature drops considerably during the first hour of surgery. Through clinical studies and among healthcare practitioners it is well established that patients benefits from being warm prior to, during and after surgery.

Perioperative hypothermia is related to poor outcomes for patients and an increase in surgical site infections. Cardiac complications and bleeding are other well known complications. Patient’s distress and discomfort as well as increased treatment costs and prolonged hospitalisation are other clinical consequences associated with perioperative hypothermia.
 

Preventative measures such as preoperative patient warming, with the aim to increase the total heat of the body and reduce the drop in temperature during surgery as well as active warming during surgery, has shown to have a good effect on avoiding hypothermia.
 

Below we have selected some published studies that talks about why preventing hypothermia is important.

• Heat flow and distribution during induction of general anesthesia
• Clinical complications, monitoring and management of perioperative mild hypothermia: anesthesiological features
• Resistive-heating or forced-air warming for the prevention of redistribution hypothermia
• Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia. Costing report. Implementing NICE guidelines.
• Perioperative normothermia to reduce the incidence of surgical-wound infection and shorten hospitalization