Surgical technology international
-
Review
Prevention of perioperative hypothermia with forced-air warming systems and upper-body blankets.
Forced-air warming is known as an effective procedure in prevention and treatment of perioperative hypothermia. Hypothermia is associated with disturbances of coagulation, raises postoperative oxygen consumption by shivering, increases cardiac morbidity, leads to a higher incidence of wound infection, and prolongs hospital stay. Additionally, preoperative local warming reduces the incidence of wound infection after clean surgery. ⋯ The covered area is approximately 0.35 m2, or approximately 15%-20% of body surface. The heat balance in this area can be changed by 46.1W to 55.0W by forced-air warming systems with upper body blankets. Depending on the surgical procedure and resulting fluid demand, forced-air warming with upper-body blankets-in combination with insulation and fluid warming-is an effective method to prevent perioperative hypothermia.