• Der Anaesthesist · Feb 1997

    Review

    [Intraoperative heat conservation. A lot of hot air?].

    • R Scherer.
    • Klinik für Anaesthesiologie und operative Intensivmedizin, Clemenshospital Münster.
    • Anaesthesist. 1997 Feb 1;46(2):81-90.

    AbstractThermoregulation and its impairment by anaesthesia and surgery has recently been brought back into focus by researchers and clinicians. All volatile and IV anaesthetics, opioids, as well as spinal and epidural anaesthesia increase the inter-threshold range of thermoregulation from 0.2 degree C to 4 degrees C between vasodilation and vasoconstriction. Thermoregulatory vasoconstriction and shivering occurs in anaesthetized patients at lower core temperatures than in awake subjects. Following induction of general or spinal/epidural anaesthesia, core temperature decreases significantly due to internal redistribution of body heat from the core thermal compartment to peripheral tissues. About 1 h after induction of general anaesthesia and initial redistribution hypothermia, a real reduction in body heat occurs as heat loss exceeds metabolic heat production. Heat loss is further increased due to low operating room temperatures, evaporation from open body cavities, and cold IV fluids. Peripheral thermoregulatory vasoconstriction is triggered by core temperatures between 33 degrees C and 35 degrees C, and is able to slow heat loss. However, body heat content continues to decrease even though core temperatures remain nearly constant. During spinal or epidural anaesthesia thermoregulation remains intact in the unblocked body segments, leading to reduced real heat loss when compared to general anaesthesia. Inadvertent hypothermia markedly decreases drug metabolism. Coagulation is impaired by cold-induced defects of platelet function. Hypothermia reduces neutrophil phagocytosis and oxidative killing capacity, causing wound infections. Postoperative hypothermia represents an unnecessary stress for the circulatory system, elevating plasma catecholamines and leading to myocardial ischaemia and arrhythmias. These hypothermia-related morbidities therefore have consequences reaching fare into the postoperative period. Prevention of inadvertent hypothermia is always indicated. Forced-air warming is the most effective and safest method to prevent perioperative hypothermia.

      Pubmed     Copy Citation     Plaintext  

      Add institutional full text...

    Notes

     
    Knowledge, pearl, summary or comment to share?
    300 characters remaining
    help        
    You can also include formatting, links, images and footnotes in your notes
    • Simple formatting can be added to notes, such as *italics*, _underline_ or **bold**.
    • Superscript can be denoted by <sup>text</sup> and subscript <sub>text</sub>.
    • Numbered or bulleted lists can be created using either numbered lines 1. 2. 3., hyphens - or asterisks *.
    • Links can be included with: [my link to pubmed](http://pubmed.com)
    • Images can be included with: ![alt text](https://bestmedicaljournal.com/study_graph.jpg "Image Title Text")
    • For footnotes use [^1](This is a footnote.) inline.
    • Or use an inline reference [^1] to refer to a longer footnote elseweher in the document [^1]: This is a long footnote..

    hide…

What will the 'Medical Journal of You' look like?

Start your free 21 day trial now.

We guarantee your privacy. Your email address will not be shared.