title: Perioperative Warming in Surgical Patients: A Comparison of Interventions.
abstract: The four arm study investigates how use of a preoperative forced-air warming blanket and adjustment of ambient surgical room temperature may contribute to prevention of perioperative hypothermia. Active warming interventions may prevent the drop in core temperature that occur as a result of surgical anesthesia. Core body temperatures from a convenience sample of 220 adult surgical patients were sequentially monitored in the preoperative, intraoperative, and post-anesthesia care units (PACU) while receiving: (a) routine surgical care, (b) application of preoperative forced-air warming blanket, (c) application of preoperative forced-air warming blanket with adjustment of ambient surgical room temperatures, or (d) adjustment of ambient surgical room temperature only. Sample characteristics were evenly distributed among the four groups. There were no statistical differences in PACU core body temperatures. The application of forced-air warming blankets and room temperature adjustment interventions were not more effective than current practice in preventing perioperative hypothermia.
authors.affiliation: Allegiance Health System, Jackson, MI, USA brenda.rowley@allegiancehealth.org.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rowley
authors.affiliation: Allegiance Health System, Jackson, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Marsi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.affiliation: Allegiance Health System, Jackson, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Poperin
authors.affiliation: Allegiance Health System, Jackson, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stommel
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lehto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059035:Perioperative Period; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: nursing; perioperative hypothermia; surgical patients; thermoregulation