602 Managing Hypothermia in the Surgical Burn Patient

Abstract

Abstract Introduction It is known, hypothermia, core body temperature at or below 36oC/96.8oF, can lead to dangerous complications for burn patients. Due to loss of their protective thermoregulation, burn patients are at an increased risk of hypothermia during surgery. Findings from a Quality Assurance audit revealed burn patients were returning from surgery hypothermic and hemodynamically unstable. There was little evidence of intra-operative temperature management in the electronic medical record (EMR) or reported to the nurse upon the patients’ return from the operating room (OR). Only 73% of patients had temperatures recorded during their surgery and of those, 40% had a drop of temperature >2 degrees from their baseline. The purpose of this collaborative evidence-based quality assurance project was to improve temperature management in the operating room and prevent hypothermia in the intra and post operative periods. Our aim was to develop warming methods pre-operatively that would establish a goal for keeping the patients’s temperature within 2 degrees of their baseline preoperative temperature during surgery. Methods A literature search obtained from CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, and MEDLINE from 2010–2018, provided current surgical guidelines and evidence-based practices for managing surgical hypothermia in burn patients (levels of evidence I, III, V, & VI). Recommendations from the burn unit staff for preoperative warming initiatives were listed and shared with the OR staff. Hemodynamic documentation, including core temperature, estimated blood loss, and intra-operative warming methods were monitored for twelve months after the Burn Unit Warming Protocol was implemented. Progress was reported quarterly in our Burn and Trauma Quality Committees. Results After implementing the Burn Unit Warming Protocol, temperature management of the burn patient improved. Intra-operative warming methods were initiated. Patients began returning from surgery warmer with improved hemodynamics. 96% of the patients had their temperatures recorded and managed intra-operatively. Of those patients, only 2.6% had a drop in temperature > 2 degrees from their pre-operative baseline. Conclusions Implementing a nurse-driven warming protocol from the pre-operative stage through surgery can aid in reducing post-operative hypothermia in burn patients. Applicability of Research to Practice Managing hypothermia will help reduce complications that can lead to increase morbidity and mortality in burn patients.