[Bladder temperature versus tympanic temperature in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery]

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Physiological Monitoring

Background:

• Accurate perioperative core body temperature monitoring is crucial for patient safety and preventing complications.
• Previous studies have shown discrepancies in various temperature monitoring sites during surgical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of bladder temperature versus tympanic membrane temperature measurements.
• To evaluate the reliability of tympanic temperature as a surrogate for core body temperature in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study involving 15 adult patients undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
• Simultaneous recording of bladder and tympanic membrane temperatures at six intraoperative time points.
• Statistical analysis using one-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bland-Altman analysis.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in temperatures was observed prior to aortic cross-clamping.
• Bladder temperatures were consistently lower than tympanic temperatures during and after aortic cross-clamping.
• The mean temperature difference was 0.4°C (±1.1°C), with a 95% confidence interval of -1.21°C to 0.78°C.

Conclusions:

• Tympanic membrane temperature appears to be a reliable indicator of core body temperature in this patient population.
• Bladder temperature may underestimate core body temperature during specific phases of abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.