Effect of Active Warming Prior to Surgery in Perioperative Hypothermia
Effect of Active Warming Prior to Surgery in Perioperative Hypothermia
This study evaluates the effect of active prewarming on the frequency and duration of perioperative hypothermia. 50% of patients will receive active warming with forced-air devices prior to entering the operating room, and the other 50% will not receive any active heating measures.
Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia is defined as a body temperature below 36º C during the perioperative period. It occurs as a result of the effects of anesthetic drugs on the regulation of body temperature and exposure to a cold environment.
The main temperature loss during the perioperative period occurs during the first hour after the anesthetic induction as a result of heat redistribution from the central compartment to the peripheral compartment
The most effective strategy to prevent perioperative hypothermia is the use of forced-air warming devices. These devices are usually initiated once the patient enters the operating room. At that time, the patient has already initiated the heat loss by distributing heat from the central to the peripheral compartment to maintain body temperature.
We intend to use forced-air warming devices before the patients is transferred to the operating room in order to preserve the peripheral body temperature. This way the redistribution of heat should be avoided and, therefore, perioperative hypothermia and its harmful effects will be prevented.
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