European journal of applied physiology
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Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. · Sep 2004
Assessment of the efficiency of warming devices during neonatal surgery.
This study assessed the relative efficiency of different warming devices (surgical sheets covering the body and a tubegauze on the head, forced-air warming, warming mattress) commonly used to prevent body hypothermia during neonatal surgery. Dry heat losses were measured from a thermal manikin, which simulated a low-birth-weight neonate of 1,800 g. The manikin's surface temperatures (35.8 degrees C) corresponded to those of neonates nursed in closed incubators. ⋯ Heat losses were reduced by 7.9 W when combining the warming mattress and Bair Hugger. The heat loss from the head of the covered manikin was reduced from 4.5 W to 3.9 W when the head was covered with the tubegauze. Our data indicate that forced-air warming is more effective than conductive warming in preventing neonatal hypothermia during abdominal operations.
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Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. · Sep 2004
Dry heat loss in incubator: comparison of two premature newborn sized manikins.
Keeping premature newborns warm is crucial for their survival. Their ability to prevent excessive heat loss to the environment and to control their body temperature is limited. The risk of hypothermia is particularly important for low-birth-weight newborns with a large body surface area in relation to their mass of heat-producing tissues. ⋯ The magnitudes of heat loss decreased significantly by 20.4% between the two manikins [small manikin 110.1 (44.3) W/m2 vs large manikin 87.6 (25.8) W/m2, mean values with one standard deviation]. The results obtained from the comparison of the heat loss measures from the two manikins confirm the fact that the heat loss increases with an increase in the ratio of the body surface area to body mass. The thermal manikin appears to provide an accurate method for the assessment of thermal conditions in neonatal care.