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Temperature and temperature measurement after induced hypothermia
T Heidenreich1, M Giuffre, J Doorley
1Wright State University-Miami Valley, School of Nursing, Dayton, OH.
Nursing Research
|September 1, 1992
Summary
Post-cardiac surgery patients experienced temperature afterdrop, a core temperature fall. Factors like age and end-of-surgery temperature influenced this, and noninvasive measures were unreliable for predicting core temperature.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Thermoregulation
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Post-cardiac surgery hypothermia, or afterdrop, is a significant concern.
- Accurate core temperature monitoring is crucial for managing hypothermic patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with afterdrop in postcardiac surgery patients.
- To evaluate the accuracy of noninvasive temperature measurements in predicting core temperature during severe hypothermia.
Main Methods:
- Core temperature was measured invasively (pulmonary artery, bladder, esophageal).
- Noninvasive methods (tympanic, oral, axillary, forehead) were compared to core temperature.
- Temperature readings were taken every 10 minutes for 2 hours post-surgery.
Main Results:
- Afterdrop varied significantly, with some patients experiencing a temperature fall of up to 4.1°C.
- Older age and higher end-of-surgery core temperature were linked to greater afterdrop.
- Body mass was negatively associated with afterdrop.
- Noninvasive temperature measures showed poor correlation with core temperature in hypothermic patients.
Conclusions:
- Afterdrop is influenced by patient age, initial core temperature, and body mass.
- Current noninvasive thermometers are not reliable for assessing core temperature in severely hypothermic postcardiac surgery patients.
- Further research is needed to develop accurate methods for monitoring core temperature in this population.