The Effect of Forced-Air Warming During Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery With General Anesthesia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the change in body temperature between the cotton blanket group and forced-air warming blanket group during arthroscopic shoulder surgery. In both groups irrigation fluid at room temperature (22 degrees C) was used. We randomly assigned 44 American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II patients scheduled for elective shoulder arthroscopic surgery to receive 1 cotton blanket (group I, n = 22) or a forced-air warming blanket (group II, n = 22). Body temperatures were measured with an esophageal stethoscope, which was inserted immediately after intubation. A significant difference in body temperatures was observed at 60 minutes after induction (P = .0192), 90 minutes after induction (P = .0004), 120 minutes after induction (P = .0003), and 150 minutes after induction (P = .0228). Shivering on arrival in the postanesthesia care unit was found in 15 patients in group I (68.1%) and only 1 patient in group II (4.5%). We conclude that forced-air warming is significantly more efficient than a cotton blanket alone at maintaining perioperative normothermia during arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Level I, randomized controlled trial.