Risk factors for postoperative hypothermia in non-cardiac surgery patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Postoperative hypothermia seems to be a common problem in surgical patients but is easily ignored. This study aimed to identify risk factors for postoperative hypothermia in non-cardiac surgery patients.

We searched databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, VIP, Wan Fang, CNKI, and CBM from inception to April 2025. The studies were selected using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and independently evaluated the risk of bias. The quality of the study was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and a meta-analysis was carried out with Revman 5.4 software.

A total of 17 studies were included. Age ≥ 60 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.80), BMI < 18.5 kg/m² (OR = 1.83), ASA III-IV (OR = 1.87), endoscopic surgery (OR = 1.93), intraoperative blood loss ≥ 100ml (OR = 2.35), intravenous fluid ≥ 1000ml (OR = 1.87), blood transfusion (OR = 1.80), duration of anesthesia > 1 h (OR = 1.99) and duration of surgery > 1 h (OR = 2.34) were significant risk factors that contributed to postoperative hypothermia in non-cardiac surgery patients.

There are many risk factors for postoperative hypothermia in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. The results of this research may improve clinician awareness, risk stratification, and prevention of postoperative hypothermia in non-cardiac surgery patients.