Journal of post anesthesia nursing
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Postanesthesia shaking is a common complication occurring after general anesthesia. Although the cause is unknown, some nurses believe that shaking is useful and beneficial for patients because it increases body temperature and that shaking stops when patients are no longer hypothermic. The primary purpose of this study was to examine changes in body temperature among patients who developed and who did not develop shaking. ⋯ Findings also indicated that the administration of intravenous narcotic-analgesic medications to stop shaking does not alter the rate of body temperature change. Suggestions for further research focus on systematically examining nursing interventions currently implemented to stop shaking. Research findings will provide evidence that either supports or fails to support the implementation of therapeutic interventions that effectively stop shaking within 5 minutes.