M A Y 2 0 1 5 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 6 5
in the OR, minimizes the heat that is lost after induction. Patients who are
warmed pre-operatively as well as intraoperatively are less likely to suffer peri-
operative hypothermia than those who receive warming interventions only in
the OR.
Room temperature can play a role when it comes to the components used in
surgery, in particular intravenously administered fluids or laparoscopic gases. In
one study, 32% of the subjects who received room temperature fluids were
found to be hypothermic upon their arrival in PACU, as compared to 14% of
those who received warmed IV fluids. As a perioperative intervention, fluid
warming can be an appropriate adjunct to forced-air warming for minimizing
heat loss when large volumes of room temperature or refrigerated fluids are
used during the course of a procedure.
Obstacles
to outcomes
Knowledge and equipment
alone aren't enough to
ensure consistent, effective
patient warming. At many
hospitals and ASCs, I've
seen only partial adoption
of evidence-based prac-
tices for preventing periop-
erative hypothermia. Many
other facilities have strug-
gled with implementation,
given the difficulty of
changing a process in the
busy clinical environment.
