title: Comparison of peri-operative core temperature in obese and non-obese patients.
abstract: Our aim was to compare peri-operative core temperatures and the incidence of hypothermia in obese and non-obese women with active forced-air warming. Twenty female patients scheduled for abdominal surgery were allocated to two groups according to body mass index. Ten obese (30.0-34.9 kg.m(-2) ) and 10 non-obese (18.5-24.9 kg.m(-2) ) women received forced-air warming on their lower limbs. At the end of surgery, the mean (SD) core temperatures were 36.7 (0.5) °C in the obese group and 36.0 (0.6) °C in the non-obese group (p < 0.001). Only in the non-obese group was there a significant decrease in the intra-operative core temperature values (p < 0.001). The incidences of intra-operative hypothermia were lower in the obese group (10%) compared with non-obese group (60%; p = 0.019). In the postoperative recovery phase, the mean (SD) core temperature data were higher in the obese group than in the non-obese group (36.2 (0.4) vs 35.6 (0.5) °C, respectively (p < 0.001)). In conclusion, obese female patients have higher peri-operative core temperature and a lower incidence of hypothermia compared with non-obese female patients during abdominal surgery with active forced-air warming.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Anaesthesiology, Department of Anaesthesiology, Botucatu Medical School, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Braz
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kakuda
authors.forename: N S P
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Módolo
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: P T G
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Vianna
authors.forename: J R C
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Braz
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001831:Body Temperature; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D005260:Female; D006361:Heating; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D059035:Perioperative Period; D011184:Postoperative Period