title: Preoperative factors affecting the intraoperative core body temperature in abdominal surgery under general anesthesia: an observational cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study was conducted to identify preoperative factors affecting the intraoperative core body temperature in abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed through prospective descriptive research design.
  
  
  METHODS
  The setting was a 1300-bed university hospital in Incheon, South Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 147 patients who had undergone elective abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age, weight, and height were collected on a preoperative visit to general unit, and body mass index, body surface area, and total body fat were calculated. The basal preoperative core body temperature (CBT), preoperative blood pressure, and heart rate were measured. Core body temperature was again measured at 1, 2, and 3 hours following general anesthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Predictive factors of intraoperative hypothermia of less than 36°C were preoperative CBT (β = .44), weight (β = .41), preoperative heart rate (β = .20), and age (β = -.13) at 1 hour after anesthesia (R = 0.658, F = 68.3, P < .001); preoperative CBT (β = .33), weight (β = .37), preoperative heart rate (β = .22), and age (β = -.24) at 2 hours after anesthesia (R = 0.631, F = 60.8, P < .001); and age (β = -.34), weight (β = .36), preoperative CBT (β = .30), and preoperative heart rate (β = .20) at 3 hours after anesthesia (R = 0.665, F = 70.6, P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low preoperative body temperature and low weight seem to be risk factors of intraoperative hypothermia during 2 hours after anesthesia and advanced age and low weight at 3 hours following anesthesia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend prewarming and intraoperative warming through forced air warming devices and covering a patient with a warm blanket during transportation. This procedure is necessary for the abdominal surgical patients of advanced age with low weight and duration of general anesthesia to last more than 1 hour.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: Nurse Anesthetist (Ms Kim), Gachon University Gil Hospital; and Professor (Dr Yoon), College of Nursing, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Haesang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001831:Body Temperature; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D057234:Preoperative Period