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Covering the head and face maintains intraoperative core temperature
K Kamitani1, A Higuchi, T Takebayashi
1Department of Anesthesia, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Nishinagae, Toyama City, Japan.
Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia = Journal Canadien D'Anesthesie
|August 12, 1999
Summary
Covering a patient's head and face helps maintain core body temperature during surgery. This simple method prevents intraoperative hypothermia, ensuring patient safety and stable temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Surgical Patient Care
- Thermoregulation
Background:
- Intraoperative hypothermia is a common complication during surgery.
- Maintaining normothermia is crucial for patient outcomes.
- Standard methods of warming patients may not always be sufficient.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of covering the head and face in preventing intraoperative hypothermia.
- To assess the impact of head and face covering on core body temperature during abdominal surgery.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, prospective trial involving 44 adult patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery.
- Patients were covered with towels and sheets; a subset also had their head and face fully covered.
- Core temperature was continuously monitored via tympanic membrane measurements.
Main Results:
- Neither the covered group nor the control group experienced intraoperative hypothermia.
- The group with head and face covering showed significantly higher tympanic membrane temperatures at 75, 90, and 105 minutes compared to the control group.
- P-values indicated a statistically significant difference (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Covering the patient's head and face is an effective strategy for maintaining intraoperative core temperature.
- This technique contributes to preventing intraoperative hypothermia.
- Simple interventions like head and face covering can enhance patient thermoregulation during surgery.