Reflective Blankets vs Electric Warming in Preventing Hypothermia During Liposuction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Perioperative Medicine
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Perioperative hypothermia is a frequent complication during liposuction, potentially delaying recovery and causing patient discomfort.
• Existing electric warming (EW) systems are effective but may have limitations in certain clinical settings.
• Maintaining normothermia is crucial for optimal patient outcomes in surgical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of reflective blankets (RBs) in preserving core body temperature during liposuction.
• To compare the effectiveness of RBs against electric warming (EW) and no warming (control) in a randomized controlled trial.
• To assess secondary outcomes including recovery time, thermal comfort, and shivering incidence.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 90 patients undergoing liposuction under general anesthesia.
• Patients were allocated to three groups: reflective blankets (RB), electric warming (EW), or control (no warming).
• Core body temperature was monitored using an esophageal probe, with secondary outcome measures including awakening time and shivering incidence.

Main Results:

• Both RB and EW groups demonstrated significantly higher intraoperative core temperatures compared to the control group.
• Reflective blankets (RB) and electric warming (EW) significantly reduced the incidence of shivering and shortened patient awakening times.
• Thermal imaging confirmed superior heat retention in patients treated with RB and EW compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• Reflective blankets (RBs) are an effective method for maintaining normothermia during liposuction procedures.
• RBs offer a cost-effective, user-friendly, and energy-independent alternative to electric warming (EW) systems.
• The findings suggest RBs are a practical solution for improving perioperative temperature management, particularly in resource-limited settings.