Abstract
BackgroundKeeping abdominal surgery patients warm is common and warming methods are needed in power outages during natural disasters. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of low-cost, low-power warming methods for maintaining normothermia in abdominal surgery patients.MethodsPatients (n = 160) scheduled for elective abdominal surgery were included in this prospective clinical study. Five warming methods were applied: heated blood transfusion/fluid infusion vs. unheated; wrapping patients vs. not wrapping; applying moist dressings, heated or not; surgical field rinse heated or not; and applying heating blankets or not. Patients’ nasopharyngeal and rectal temperatures were recorded to evaluate warming efficacy. Significant differences were found in mean temperatures of warmed patients compared to those not warmed.ResultsWhen we compared temperatures of abdominal surgery patient groups receiving three specific warming methods with temperatures of control groups not receiving these methods, significant differences were revealed in temperatures maintained during the surgeries between the warmed groups and controls.DiscussionThe value of maintaining normothermia in patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anesthesia is accepted. Three effective economical and practically applicable warming methods are combined body wrapping and heating blanket; combined body wrapping, heated moist dressings, and heating blanket; combined body wrapping, heated moist dressings, and warmed surgical rinse fluid, with or without heating blanket. These methods are practically applicable when low-cost method is indeed needed.
Highlights
In recent years, core body temperature has been considered one of the basic measurements in monitoring patients undergoing general anesthesia
As early as the mid-1990s, observers reported hypothermia in as many as 60% of patients during surgery, with 30% of patients having a core body temperature below 35uC [1]. Complications such as ventricular tachycardia, hypertension, and increased risk of infection associated with intraand perioperative hypothermia have come to the attention of surgeons and anesthesiologists [2], and various methods of patient warming have been promoted for clinical use to lower the risk of hypothermia associated with administering general anesthesia
The third most effective method of warming was a combination of body wraps, heated moist dressings, warming of the surgical rinse fluid, and a heating blanket
Summary
Core body temperature has been considered one of the basic measurements in monitoring patients undergoing general anesthesia. Complications such as ventricular tachycardia, hypertension, and increased risk of infection associated with intraand perioperative hypothermia have come to the attention of surgeons and anesthesiologists [2], and various methods of patient warming have been promoted for clinical use to lower the risk of hypothermia associated with administering general anesthesia. During natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunami or major flooding, power is generally lost and alternative methods are available, including body wraps and the use of heated moist dressings as well as warmed fluids and blood transfusions and the use of heated blankets. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of low-cost, low-power warming methods for maintaining normothermia in abdominal surgery patients
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