Preoperative Warming Prevents Postoperative Hypothermia in Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgery. A Randomized Control Trial

Overview

This study examined whether 20 minutes of prewarming prior to gynecological laparoscopic surgery prevented inadvertent post-operative hypothermia. Treatment group received prewarming using a forced air body warming, control group received no active warming system. Both groups were then warmed with forced air warmer intraoperatively.

Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia is a well known perioperative complication. The behavioural response to hypothermia is the most powerful protective tool, more effective than any autonomic response, and is obviously removed in the operative setting. Anesthesia alters thermoregulation by profoundly changing the thresholds for vasoconstriction and shivering, making patients vulnerable to the adverse outcomes related to mild hypothermia. Inadvertent postoperative hypothermia can occur in up to 70% of surgical patients. It is defined as a core temperature below 36°C (96.8°F). The aim of this study was to determine if prewarming with an active warming system for 20 minutes preoperatively could prevent postoperative inadvertent hypothermia.

Conditions