Anesthesiology
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Hypothermia during general anesthesia develops with a characteristic three-phase pattern. The initial rapid reduction in core temperature after induction of anesthesia results from an internal redistribution of body heat. Redistribution results because anesthetics inhibit the tonic vasoconstriction that normally maintains a large core-to-peripheral temperature gradient. ⋯ Postoperative return to normothermia occurs when brain anesthetic concentration decreases sufficiently to again trigger normal thermoregulatory defenses. However, residual anesthesia and opioids given for treatment of postoperative pain decreases the effectiveness of these responses. Consequently, return to normothermia often needs 2-5 h, depending on the degree of hypothermia and the age of the patient.