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O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4
H Y P O T H E R M I A
THE CRITICAL FIRST HOUR
Fast Facts About Hypothermia
H
ypothermia, defined as a core
body temperature less than
36°C (96.8°F), is a constant
challenge in the operating room, as
many surgical patients are at risk for
unplanned hypothermia during surgery.
As you'll note in the 3 phases of
unplanned hypothermia, hypothermia
during the first hour of surgery results in the largest loss of body heat.
•
Redistribution phase.
The redistribution phase is when there is a
rapid shift of body heat from the body's core to its periphery. This results
in a core temperature drop of approximately 1.6°C (2.7°F) during the first
hour of anesthesia.
•
Linear decrease phase.
During the second and third hour there is a
linear decrease in temperature drop.
•
Thermal plateau phase.
The decrease in core body temperature
eventually becomes constant during the so-called plateau phase.
Even mild hypothermia can lead to adverse patient outcomes and sig-
nificant additional healthcare costs. Some estimates say more than 50%
of all surgical patients are hypothermic upon admission to the recovery
room. It's estimated that only about one-fourth of surgical patients
deemed to be at risk for unintended hypothermia actually receive active
warming. A recent Outpatient Surgery Magazine online poll found that
46% of 269 respondents "always" prewarm patients at risk of unplanned
hypothermia before induction of anesthesia. Another 26% do so "some-
times," 10% do so "rarely" and 18% "never warm."
— Theresa Criscitelli, EdD(c), RN, CNOR
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