Perioperative Temperature Management During Burn Care.
Major physiologic alterations following a severe thermal injury disrupt thermal homeostasis and predispose burn patients to hypothermia. An important recommendation in many clinical practice guidelines is to increase the ambient temperature during the care of severely burned patients in the operating room and intensive care unit to mitigate the loss of thermoregulation, prevent hypothermia, and minimize the impact of hypermetabolism. However, the scientific support for this recommendation remains unclear. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the pathophysiology and treatment of thermal injury-induced hypermetabolism and hypothermia, with special emphasis on alterations in ambient temperature. Current evidence on the value of increasing ambient temperature during the care of severely burned patients in the operating room or intensive care unit is limited, with minimal human studies investigating physiologic benefit or potential adverse effects.
From the *United States Army Institute of Surgical Research, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and †Department of Surgery Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.
Julie A
JA
Rizzo
Matthew P
MP
Rowan
Ian R
IR
Driscoll
Rodney K
RK
Chan
Kevin K
KK
Chung
D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D004777:Environment; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D009873:Operating Rooms; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome