Pre-induction skin-surface warming minimizes intraoperative core hypothermia.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that only one hour of preinduction skin-surface warming decreases the rate at which core hypothermia develops during the first hour of anesthesia.


METHODS
Randomized, prospective study.


METHODS
Operating theater of a university hospital.


METHODS
16 ASA status I and II adult patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia.


METHODS
Eight patients were assigned to receive forced-air warming for one hour before induction of anesthesia (prewarmed group); the other eight patients were covered only with a wool blanket during a similar preinduction period (control group).


RESULTS
Tympanic membrane (core) and mean skin-surface temperatures were measured at 15-minutes intervals, starting one hour before induction of anesthesia. Mean skin temperature increased from 34.0 +/- 0.1 C to 37.0 +/- 0.2 degrees C in the pre-warmed group (p < 0.05), but remained unchanged at 34.7 +/- 0.3 degrees C in the control group. Core temperature during the preinduction period did not change significantly in either group. Following induction of anesthesia, core temperature decreased at a rate of 1.1 +/- 0.1 degrees C/hr in the control group, but only 0.6 +/- 0.1 degrees C/hr in the pre-warmed group (p < 0.05). After one hour of anesthesia, six of eight pre-warmed patients had core temperatures of at least 36.5 degrees C, whereas only one of the eight control patients did (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
A single hour of preoperative skin-surface warming reduced the rate at which core hypothermia developed during the first hour of anesthesia. Preoperative skin surface warming is particularly helpful during short procedures because redistribution hypothermia is otherwise difficult to treat.
Camus
Y
Y
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris, France.
Delva
E
E
Sessler
D I
DI
Lienhart
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000818:Animals; D001512:Bedding and Linens; D001831:Body Temperature; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D005260:Female; D003368:Gossypium; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014432:Tympanic Membrane; D014935:Wool