Preoperative Patient Warming for Prevention of Perioperative Hypothermia in Major Abdominal Surgery

University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein99 enrolled

Overview

The study should evaluate how long patients undergoing major abdominal surgery under combined general/epidural anaesthesia have to be actively warmed preoperatively to prevent perioperative hypothermia and postoperative shivering. 99 patients will receive forced-air skin-surface warming for different duration. Body temperature will be measured at the tympanic membrane. The investigators hypothesize that active warming before starting the epidural anaesthesia will decrease the incidence of perioperative hypothermia.

The aim of our study is to evaluate the performance of different durations of active preoperative skin-surface warming (prewarming) to prevent perioperative hypothermia in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery under combined general/epidural anaesthesia. The investigators plan to enroll 99 patients in 3 groups. Body temperature will be measured at the tympanic membrane. The investigators hypothesize that active warming before starting the epidural anaesthesia will decrease the incidence of perioperative hypothermia.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Preoperative Warming Prewarming Perioperative Hypothermia

Interventions

Forced-air warmingDEVICE

In the intervention groups a forced-air cover (Level 1 Snuggle Warm Upper Body Blanket, Smiths Medicals) will be positioned over the patients sitting or laying on the operating table for 15 min before start of epidural anaesthesia and afterwards till start of general anaesthesia (group 3), for 15 min before start of general anaesthesia (group 2) or only after induction of general anaesthesia (group 1, control). All patients will receive forced-air warming after induction of general anaesthesia till end of surgery.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * age over 18 years * planned duration of surgery \> 2 hours * planned for elective major abdominal surgery under combined epidural/general anaesthesia * written informed consent * American society of anesthesiologists status 1-3 Exclusion Criteria: * duration of surgery \< 90 min * withdrawal of consent * emergency surgery

Locations (2)

University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel

Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Klinikum Pinneberg Klinik für Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin und OP-Management

Pinneberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Incidence of hypothermic patients at arrival at PACU

After the operation patients will be admitted to the PACU. Here, body temperature will be assessed and the incidence of hypothermic patients (body temperature \< 36°C)will be measured.

Time frame: 2 hours