Effects of Pre-warming and Co-warming in Preventing Intraoperative Hypothermia

Hypothermia is a condition characterized by a decreased body temperature. It takes place when the body is exposed to cold weather or water for a longer period of time. Different types of hypothermia include acute hypothermia, exhaustion hypothermia, and chronic hypothermia. Excessive shivering, breathing difficulty, slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness, a weak pulse, and a loss of consciousness are the symptoms related to hypothermia.

The aim of this study was to see how effective co-warming and pre-warming are at reducing the risk of intraoperative hypothermia.

A randomized, prospective, comparative clinical study was conducted in a population of 60 participants. Participants were divided into two groups. Participants in group A received pre-warming for 30 minutes at 40°C before transport to the operation theater and also received co-warming before induction of anesthesia. Group B includes those who received co-warming at 40°C from the point of induction of anesthesia.

The mean age (years) of participants in groups A and B was identified as 43.3 ± 11.84 and 45.93 ± 15.87, respectively. The majority of the participants in the study population were males in groups A and B, with 66.67% and 73.33%, respectively. The medians of core temperature and peripheral temperature at the baseline were identified as 36.80 (36.20 to 37.12) and 32.55 (32.38 to 32.72) in group A. Similarly, it was observed as 36 (35.70 to 36.20) and 32 (31.60 to 32.02) in group B. The medians of core temperature and peripheral temperature after the surgery were identified as 34.50 (34.20 to 35) and 32.65 (31.95 to 33) in group A. Similarly, it was identified as 34 (33.80 to 34.25) and 32 (32.10 to 32.25) in group B.

Our study concluded that it is important to prevent hypothermia in patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia. Pre-operative and intraoperative warming showed a decrease in the rate of fall in core temperature. Hence, both techniques are effective in reducing hypothermia.