J Natl Med Assoc
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A patient with cold agglutinin disease developed significant hemolysis after surgery because of intraoperative hypothermia. Convective heat losses from exposed viscera may be more significant than realized. ⋯ The elderly patient is particularly susceptible to cold exposure and its consequences during surgery. In this situation of a patient with cold agglutinins, and in others with anitbody-related hemolytic disease, control of temperature during surgery is clearly very important.