Perioperative Hypothermia in Children.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesiology
• Thermoregulation in Children
• Patient Safety in Surgery

Background:

• Perioperative hypothermia, a known side effect of general anesthesia, poses significant risks, especially for infants and children.
• Maintaining normothermia is a critical quality indicator in pediatric anesthesia practice.
• Deviations from normal body temperature are linked to various complications and negative health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of perioperative hypothermia in pediatric patients.
• To detail the definition, history, incidence, risk factors, and adverse events associated with pediatric perioperative hypothermia.
• To offer management recommendations for preventing and treating perioperative hypothermia and hyperthermia in children.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of publications on perioperative hypothermia.
• Supplemented with a MEDLINE database search for relevant studies.
• Synthesis of existing research to summarize key aspects of pediatric perioperative temperature management.

Main Results:

• Perioperative hypothermia is prevalent in pediatric populations, influenced by physiological vulnerability and inadequate warming protocols.
• Key elements of effective warming strategies include maintaining normothermia during transport, pre-anesthesia warming, intraoperative warming, and precise core temperature monitoring.
• Adverse events and complications related to perioperative temperature dysregulation in children were summarized.

Conclusions:

• Despite advances, perioperative hypothermia persists in pediatric patients.
• Effective perioperative warming strategies are essential for maintaining normothermia and preventing complications.
• Comprehensive temperature management, including preventing both hypothermia and hyperthermia, is crucial for pediatric surgical care.