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The results of a recent collaboration between academic researchers, a regional
health system and AORN aim to guide providers to normothermic success
(see "A Toolkit for Improved Patient Warming").
Even the establishment of a warming protocol doesn't necessarily guarantee
its effectiveness. It is entirely possible for incomplete, incorrect or ill-timed use
of warming methods to create a gap between compliance with quality perform-
ance measures that demand warming and the competent maintenance of nor-
mothermic outcomes.
A study (osmag.net/1dPpKE) that my colleagues and I published in the
Journal for Healthcare Quality in January 2014 found that 5.8% of a surgi-
cal patient population that was actively warmed, in full compliance with
Joint Commission and Medicare quality performance measures, was
hypothermic upon admission to PACU. Urology and orthopedics were the
specialties that saw the highest percentage of hypothermic outcomes, at
8.5% and 7.7% respectively.
In short, even perioperative staff members who think they're doing the
right thing with regard to patient warming may find their efforts and the
resulting outcomes hindered by a lack of knowledge, resources or feedback
on implementation strategies.
Ultimately, preventing and avoiding perioperative hypothermia is not only
less time-consuming and less expensive than treating the condition and its
aftereffects, but also a fulfillment of your duty to provide each patient with
quality care and positive outcomes.
OSM
Dr. Steelman (victoria-steelman@uiowa.edu) is an assistant professor at the
University of Iowa College of Nursing in Iowa City and a past president of AORN.
