[Risk factors for postoperative hypothermia in the post-anesthetic care unit: a prospective prognostic pilot study]

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Perioperative Medicine
• Critical Care

Background:

• Hypothermia affects up to 20% of perioperative patients.
• Systematic postoperative temperature monitoring is not standard in Brazil.
• Limited research exists on temperature recovery in postoperative care units.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of hypothermia upon admission to the postoperative care unit.
• To identify factors associated with hypothermia and temperature recovery.
• To evaluate the feasibility of a larger study on postoperative hypothermia.

Main Methods:

• Multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study.
• Involved 78 patients aged 18-85 undergoing elective or urgent surgery.
• Measured tympanic temperature, vital signs, and adverse events at postoperative care unit admission and discharge.

Main Results:

• 69.2% of patients had temperatures below 36°C on postoperative care unit admission.
• Spinal anesthesia, cesarean sections, and opioid use (morphine, sufentanil) were linked to lower temperatures.
• Elderly patients showed a higher tendency for and lower recovery from hypothermia.

Conclusions:

• Perioperative hypothermia remains a significant problem in anesthetic practice.
• Over half of patients experienced hypothermia upon postoperative care unit admission.
• The study demonstrated the feasibility of conducting larger investigations into postoperative hypothermia.