title: [Implementation of a thermal management concept to prevent perioperative hypothermia : Results of a 6‑month period in clinical practice].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perioperative hypothermia is defined as a core temperature below 36 °C. The literature shows that perioperative hypothermia is a frequent but potentially preventable complication of the surgical process. The risk of experiencing perioperative hypothermia is inherent for all anesthetized patients, independent of the type of surgery. Unless preventative measures are taken, perioperative hypothermia occurs in 50 to 70 % of all surgical patients. In Germany and Austria the guideline "Preventing inadvertent perioperative hypothermia" has been published. In Wolfsburg we started already in 2012 with a standard operating procedure to prevent perioperative hypothermia in all surgical patients. In two clinical departments we established an additional prewarming-protocol starting prior to induction of anaesthesia on the normal ward on the day of surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  For a period of 6 months we analyzed all temperature data of patients having undergone surgery, beginning before the start of general anaesthesia until the end of the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 3228 patients were enrolled into the study. Prewarming was performed in 1329 patients. In 1902 patients active warming was limited to the intraoperative period. The total rate of hypothermia in all patients was 32.6 %, whereas the rate of hypothermia at the end of the operation was 19.3 %. In the group of patients without prewarming the overall rate was 39.1 vs. 25 % at the end of the operation. In the groups of patients with prewarming the total rates of hypothermia were 25.2 and 24.7 % overall and 14.4 and 12.5 % at the end of the operation. In multifactorial regression it could be shown that patients without prewarming had a 1.8-fold increased risk of perioperative hypothermia compared to patients with intraoperative warming only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that temperature management is a challenge in the clinical situation, and that it is difficult to achieve rates of hypothermia close to zero. The addition of prewarming was very effective in improving the results in our patients.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesie, Notfallmedizin, Intensivmedizin und Schmerztherapie (ANIS), Klinikum Wolfsburg, Sauerbruchstr. 7, 38440, Wolfsburg, Deutschland. matthias.menzel@klinikum.wolfsburg.de.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menzel
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesie, Notfallmedizin, Intensivmedizin und Schmerztherapie (ANIS), Klinikum Wolfsburg, Sauerbruchstr. 7, 38440, Wolfsburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesie, Notfallmedizin, Intensivmedizin und Schmerztherapie (ANIS), Klinikum Wolfsburg, Sauerbruchstr. 7, 38440, Wolfsburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leuchtmann
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Fakultät, Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle-Wittenberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lautenschläger
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesie, Notfallmedizin, Intensivmedizin und Schmerztherapie (ANIS), Klinikum Wolfsburg, Sauerbruchstr. 7, 38440, Wolfsburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Röseler
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesiologie, Zentrum Anästhesiologie, Rettungs- und Intensivmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bräuer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods; D001831:Body Temperature; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D017694:Rewarming / Q000379:methods
keywords: Body core temperature; Forced air warming; Hypopthermic rate; Measurement; Perioperative hypothermia; Prewarming; Temperature management