Intraoperative and Postoperative Complications of Hypothermia

2075 Words5 Pages

Reviewing the Literature Hypothermia is a common problem in surgical patients. Up to 70% of patients experience some degree of hypothermia that is undergoing anesthetic surgery. Complications include but are not limited to wound infections, myocardial ischemia, and greater oxygen demands. The formal definition of hypothermia is when the patient’s core body temperature drops below 36 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, the purpose of the paper is to synthesize what studies reveal about the current state of knowledge on the effects of pre-operative warming of patient’s postoperative temperatures. I will discuss consistencies and contradictions in the literature, and offer possible explanations for the inconsistencies. Finally I will provide preliminary conclusions on whether the research provides strong evidence to support a change in practice, or whether further research is needed to adequately address your inquiry. Discussion of Identified Articles After reviewing six research studies varying from systematic, to meta-analysis, to experimental, and to quasi-experimental they all have identified that there are positive effects of pre-warming the patient prior to surgery. Andrzejowski, Hyle, Eapen & Turnbull (2008), performed a quasi-experimental study with 68 adult patients having spinal surgery under general anesthesia. 31 were pre-warmed for 60 minutes before induction and 37 were in a control group. All received forced air warming (FAW) during surgery. Pre-warming the patient had a significant effect on patient's outcomes, which resulted in a decrease incidence of perioperative hypothermia. When pre-warming by FAW, the patient experiences better outcomes and improved patient satisfaction. Additionally, Vanni... ... middle of paper ... ...1, February). Preprocedure warming maintains normothermia throughout the perioperative period: A quality improvement project. Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing, 26(1), 9-14. Melling, C. A., Baqar, A., Eileen, M. S., & David, J. L. (2001, September 15). Effects of preoperative warming on the incidence of wound infection after clean surgery; a randomised control trial. The Lancet, 358, 876-880. Smith, C., Sidhu, R., Lucas, L., Mehta, D., & Pinchak, A. (2007, March 13). Should patients undergoing ambulatory surgery with general anesthesia be actively warmed? Internet Journal of Anesthesiology, 12(1). Vannie, S. M. D., Braz, J. R. C., Modolo, N. S. P., Amorium, R. B., & Rodrigues, G. R. (2003, March). Preoperative combined with intraoperative skin-surface warming avoids hypothermia caused by general anesthesia and surgery. Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, 15, 119-125.

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