Abstract
Background: First described by paediatric anaesthesiologists, perioperative hypothermia is one of the earliest reported side effects of general anaesthesia. Deviations from normothermia are associated with numerous complications and adverse outcomes, with infants and small children at the highest risk. Nowadays, maintenance of normothermia is an important quality metric in paediatric anaesthesia. Methods: This review is based on our collection of publications regarding perioperative hypothermia and was supplemented with pertinent publications from a MEDLINE literature search. Results: We provide an overview on perioperative hypothermia in the paediatric patient, including definition, history, incidence, development, monitoring, risk factors, and adverse events, and provide management recommendations for its prevention. We also summarize the side effects and complications of perioperative temperature management. Conclusions: Perioperative hypothermia is still common in paediatric patients and may be attributed to their vulnerable physiology, but also may result from insufficient perioperative warming. An effective perioperative warming strategy incorporates the maintenance of normothermia during transportation, active warming before induction of anaesthesia, active warming during anaesthesia and surgery, and accurate measurement of core temperature. Perioperative temperature management must also prevent hyperthermia in children.
Highlights
This shifts the focus of perioperative temperature management more towards the small thermal mass and reduced WSA ratio of children, which explains the greater susceptibility to environmental disturbances than adults [21]
Hypothermia in the paediatric patient can lead to adverse events which can range from thermal discomfort to increased morbidity and mortality [44]
In children, there is no clarity about the short- and long-term consequences of intraoperative hypothermia and whether hypothermia may not be even protective under certain circumstances [10]
Summary
The normal temperature measured rectally in children up to five years of age is 36.5–. Hypothermia is defined as a core temperature below 36.5 ◦ C or 36.0 ◦ C in children up to five years of age and children older than five years, respectively. A core temperature below 35.0 ◦ C can be defined as severe perioperative hypothermia. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International journal of environmental research and public health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
