Dr. Andrew Melling discusses the importance of maintaining normothermia in patients undergoing surgery and examines the evidence for various warming approaches – from forced air warming to fluid warming.
Normal thermoregulatory control is greatly impaired as a result of anaesthesia and surgical patients are at significant risk of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH). NICE guidelines on prevention of IPH classify this as any temperature below 36˚C.1 IPH is associated with a range of complications including delayed recovery, increased length of stay, patient discomfort, increased risk of surgical site infection, coagulopathy and an increased requirement for transfusion.1-6
IPH can be prevented or its impact significantly mediated with effective temperature management throughout the perioperative period. This management may include accurate temperature monitoring, passive interventions such as patient insulation and active regimes such as forced air warming and fluid warming.
Thermoregulation and Inadvertent Peri-operative Hypothermia (IPH)
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