AORN journal
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Surgery patients often become hypothermic during surgical procedures. The body's thermostat, the hypothalamus, strives to maintain a normal temperature; however, when a patient's temperature drops too low, the thermoregulatory processes are suppressed, and hypothermia occurs. ⋯ Hypothermia may cause complications such as protein catabolism, hypokalemia, and changes in glucose metabolism and glomerular filtration. Nursing interventions used intraoperatively to maintain a normothermic state include applying warm and temperature regulating blankets, decreasing the amount of skin exposure, and warming operating rooms.