British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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Up to 90% of patients experience hypothermia perioperatively. Inadvertent hypothermia can have a profound physiological effect on the body, varying from mild vasoconstriction and feeling cold to cardiac arrest and death. Anaesthesia, general or regional, increases the risk as the normal protective reflexes such as shivering are absent, particularly when muscle relaxants are used. ⋯ Forced air warmers such as the Bair Hugger are the most effective means of preventing and treating heat loss. They should be used routinely although their contribution to infection also needs to be considered. Nurses should be aware of the risks of hypothermia so that modes of prevention can be employed to minimize the risks of inadvertent hypothermia.