Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Randomized non-inferiority trial of the vitalHEAT temperature management system vs the Bair Hugger warmer during total knee arthroplasty.
Intraoperative and postoperative hypothermia occur commonly; mild hypothermia (34-36 degrees C) is associated with adverse events. The use of perioperative warming devices has become routine, but currently available active warming devices may be limited in certain circumstances. The vitalHEAT Temperature Management System provides conductive warming (circulating warm water) around a single extremity together with a vacuum that is applied to the limb. In this randomized trial, we tested the hypothesis that the vitalHEAT system is non-inferior to the Bair Hugger during unilateral total knee arthroplasty. ⋯ NCT00711867.