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tion before deciding on which method is best. During abdominal cases,
for example, it might be best to place forced-air blankets across the
patient's arms and legs or use a warming underbody mattress to stave
off hypothermia.
Passive interventions include warmed blankets, reflective blankets,
socks, head coverings and limiting skin exposure. A warmed blanket
is a passive solution that prevents patients from losing any tempera-
ture, but if they're already hypothermic, it's not going to actively warm
them.
Evidence suggests pre-warming for a minimum of 30 minutes may
reduce the risk of subsequent hypothermia. Clinical proof that warm-
ing patients pre-operatively prevents hypothermia is developing, but it
has yet to definitively show the same level of efficacy as intraop and
post-op warming. At
the very least, pre-
warming may help
bump up core temper-
atures, so even when
patients naturally lose
heat, they won't drop
into the hypothermic
range.
4. Can warm-
ing prevent
SSIs?
Hypothermia is associ-
ated with a higher risk
of SSIs, because it
causes tissue hypoxia
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• Individual zoned heating
• Programmable controls
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With an aesthetically pleasing
design, the Enthermics DC Series
is the intelligent way to increase
patient satisfaction.
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Warming patients
inside and out
The true Nurse's Aide
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