Heat trapped under paper and plastic ophthalmic drapes during eye surgery using local anesthesia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether heat trapped under ophthalmic drapes is responsible for patient reports of being hot during cataract surgery using local anesthesia.


METHODS
Departments of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine and of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Innsbruck University Hospital, Innsbruck, Austria.


METHODS
In a prospective, randomized, single-blind study, the temperature in the ambient air under 2 types of paper drapes (Group A: Barrier Ophthalmology Drape, Johnson & Johnson; Group B: Steri Drape 1062, 3M) and a plastic drape (Group C: cotton drape + Steri Drape 1024, 3M) was measured for 25 minutes in 60 patients having cataract surgery under local anesthesia.


RESULTS
Three minutes after the patient's head was draped, the mean temperature under the drape began to increase significantly: Group A, 25.7 degrees C +/- 0.3 degree C (SD) to 29.17 degrees C +/- 0.9 degree C (P < or = .001); Group B, 25.87 degrees C +/- 0.4 degree C to 29.41 degrees C +/- 0.9 degree C (P < or = .001); Group C, 25.8 degrees C +/- 0.35 degree C to 29.4 degrees C +/- 0.6 degree C (P < or = .001). It continued to increase in all groups as the operation continued. No significant differences in temperature were observed among the 3 drape types studied. Subjective thermal discomfort was reported by 35% to 40% of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Paper drapes did not cause less heat from being trapped than the plastic drape. Trapped heat may impair the comfort of patients having eye surgery under local anesthesia.
Schlager
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Department of Anaesthesia and General Intensive Care Medicine, Innsbruck, Austria.
D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D003368:Gossypium; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010209:Paper; D010969:Plastics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011481:Protective Clothing; D016037:Single-Blind Method
D010969:Plastics