Perioperative changes in body temperature in patients undergoing cesarean section: a comparison between spinal and general anesthesia

Abstract

Background: Perioperative decrease of body temperature is one of the most common preventable adverse events in patients undergoing a cesarean section. The aim of this study was to compare general anesthesia (GA) and spinal anesthesia (SA) in terms of perioperative changes in body temperature and related perioperative adverse events. Methods: In this prospective study, temperature was obtained 5 minutes before induction, 30 minutes after induction, and 5 minutes after arrival to Post anesthesia care unit (PACU) for patients undergoing GA and SA. In the PACU, patients were evaluated for shivering and pain. Neonatal temperature and Apgar score at 1,5, and 10 minutes were recorded, as well as neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions. Results: 115 patients were included in this study, of which 65 underwent SA, while 50 patients underwent GA. Body temperature of patients undergoing SA was significantly less than that of GA group 30 minutes after induction (p= 0.038). There was no significant difference in the decrease of mean body temperature at different timeframes perioperatively between the groups. There was an increase in the incidence of shivering in SA patients (30.8%), compared to the GA patients (8%; p= 0.003). No significant differences were found between the two groups in newborn Apgar score (at 1,5,10 minutes), newborn body temperature, and NICU admission. Conclusion: We did not find a significant decrease in temperature in both groups. We thus demonstrated that interventions used for prevention of hypothermia are of great importance for maternal and fetal well‐being, by decreasing the risk of developing hypothermia in both GA and SA.