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O U T P A T 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 | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5
We know that blankets begin to lose
heat once they're removed from
warming cabinets and exposed to
ambient air. In fact, if enough time
passes, by the time they reach the
patient, they won't deliver much in
the way of the soothing warmth
they're intended to provide.
So it might be tempting to over-
heat them. In fact, a study pub-
lished in the Journal of
PeriAnesthesia Nursing in 2013
argues that it's safe and practical to
warm blankets in cabinets that have been set to a blistering 200°F (93°C).
Don't do it!
That's the word from both AORN and the ECRI Institute, a non-profit patient safety
research organization in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. Instead, say both, the maximum tem-
perature for blanket and linen warming cabinets should never exceed 130°F (54.4°C).
But what about the study? How could there be such a huge gap in recommendations?
According to ECRI, in the best of all possible worlds, a blanket warmed in a cabinet set at
200°F might actually be safe. But there are far too many variables involved to assume
that no harm will ever come from such a practice.
ECRI's recommendation is based on studies of multiple burn cases involving patients
in hospitals where warming cabinets were set to 150°F or higher. In every burn case,
blankets were either rolled or left folded when they were applied to the patients. In
other words, patients are likely to be fine with hotter blankets if the blankets are fully
unfolded before they come into contact with skin. But since there's no way to ensure that
folded or rolled blankets will never be applied to patients, the practice can be a nasty
burn waiting to happen.
DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY?
How Warm Should Blankets Be?
z GETTING WARMER To prevent burns, experts advise that
you never warm blankets to temperatures above 130°F.
Gary
Lawson,
MD
