Prevention of hypothermia by infusion of warm fluid during thoracoscopic-assisted esophagectomy

Abstract

Objective To describe the core temperature curve and access the effect of infusion of warm fluid in patients receiving thoracoscopic-assisted esophagectomy. Methods Fifty patients undergoing elective thoracoscopic-assisted esophagectomy under general anesthesia were divided into two groups by random number table (n=25). In the warming group, fluids were infused at 40 ℃, while in the control group, fluids were infused at room temperature. The intraoperative rectal temperature and the incidence of postoperative shivering were recorded respectively. Results In the control group, the core temperature curve divided into three stages, by time points at 80 min and 200 min. Statistically significant decline in core temperature was appeared at 50 min and 200 min post-anesthesia in control and warming group respectively. Compared with the control group, the overall time of intraoperative core temperature higher than 36 ℃ was longer in the warming group(33.3% vs 15.3%)(P<0.05). And the time of decline with 1 ℃ in core temperature was longer in the warming group[(139±69) min vs (76±33) min](P<0.05). At the end of anesthesia, the core temperature in warming group was higher than that in the control group[(35.48±0.48) ℃ vs (34.90±0.57) ℃](P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative shivering was also lower in warming group. Conclusions Infusion of warm fluids is effective in decreasing the rate and magnitude of the decline in core temperature during surgery, reducing the overall time of hypothermia and the incidence of shivering. But it doesn′t change the redistribution process of core temperature during anesthesia induction and prevent hypothermia at the end of surgery. Key words: Fluid warmer; Thoracoscopic-assisted esophagectomy; Hypothermia; Postoperative shivering