title: The effect of ephedrine on intraoperative hypothermia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prevention of intraoperative hypothermia has become a standard of operative care. Since ephedrine has a thermogenic effect and it is frequently used to treat hypotension during anesthesia, this study was designed to determine the effect of ephedrine on intraoperative hypothermia of patients who are undergoing spine surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients were randomly divided to receive an ephedrine (the ephedrine group, n = 12) or normal saline (the control group, n = 12) infusion for 2 h. The esophageal temperature (the core temperature), the index finger temperature (the peripheral temperature) and the hemodynamic variables such as the mean blood pressure and heart rate were measured every 15 minutes after the intubation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the study period, the esophageal temperature and hemodynamic variables were significantly decreased in the control group, whereas those in the ephedrine group were stably maintained. The index finger temperature was significantly lower in the ephedrine group compared to that in the control group, suggesting the prevention of core-to-peripheral redistribution of the heat as the cause of temperature maintenance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An intraoperative infusion of ephedrine minimized the decrease of the core temperature and it stably maintained the hemodynamic variables during spine surgery with the patient under general anesthesia.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea.
authors: Youn Yi
authors: YY
authors: Jo
authors: Ji Young
authors: JY
authors: Kim
authors: Joon-Sik
authors: JS
authors: Kim
authors: Youngjun
authors: Y
authors: Kwon
authors: Cheung Soo
authors: CS
authors: Shin
references: Anesthesiology. 2008 Jan;108(1):71-7
references: 18156884
references: J R Soc Med. 1991 Dec;84(12):752-3
references: 1774760
references: J Nippon Med Sch. 2004 Apr;71(2):92-8
references: 15260082
references: Anesth Analg. 1993 May;76(5):1023-6
references: 8484502
references: Metabolism. 1992 Nov;41(11):1233-41
references: 1435297
references: Int J Obes. 1982;6(4):343-50
references: 6290407
references: Br J Anaesth. 2003 Jan;90(1):58-61
references: 12488380
references: Anesthesiology. 1991 May;74(5):815-9
references: 1673591
references: Br J Anaesth. 1989 Sep;63(3):276-82
references: 2803885
references: Br J Anaesth. 2010 Aug;105(2):162-7
references: 20542888
references: Anesthesiology. 1999 Sep;91(3):626-32
references: 10485770
references: Anesthesiology. 1991 Oct;75(4):594-610
references: 1928769
references: Korean J Anesthesiol. 2009 Dec;57(6):704-708
references: 30625952
references: Masui. 2005 Nov;54(11):1258-62
references: 16296364
references: Int J Obes. 1991 May;15(5):317-26
references: 1885257
references: Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Jan;292(1):R77-85
references: 16840650
references: Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2002 Jan;46(1):64-7
references: 11903074
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1993 Feb;17 Suppl 1:S35-40
references: 8384178