Ambient Room Temperatures in a Burn Intensive Care Unit-A Quality Improvement Project.

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Burn Care
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Major burn injuries increase patient susceptibility to hypothermia.
• Maintaining optimal ambient temperatures may mitigate hypothermia and hypermetabolic responses in burn patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine ambient patient room temperatures in a burn intensive care unit (ICU).
• To evaluate the capability to adjust these temperatures rapidly.

Main Methods:

• Hourly ambient temperatures were recorded in 9 burn ICU rooms over 6 months using smart sensors.
• Thermostats were set to maximum for 3-hour periods on two separate occasions to assess temperature adjustment capabilities.

Main Results:

• The mean ambient temperature was 23.5°C.
• Temperature increases after interventions were limited, with mean increases of 1.03°C and 0.76°C across all rooms.
• Rapid, significant temperature adjustments were not consistently achievable.

Conclusions:

• Burn ICU rooms tend to be cooler than optimal.
• The capacity for rapid, local adjustment of ambient temperatures in these units is limited.
• Regular facility assessments are recommended to ensure timely temperature adjustments are possible when clinically indicated.