Effects of Multimodal Perioperative Temperature Management on Hypothermia in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

This study aimed to investigate the impact of multimodal perioperative temperature management on the incidence of perioperative hypothermia in individuals undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 226 patients who underwent elective OLT at our hospital between January 2022 and August 2024. Patients were divided into two groups based on the intraoperative body temperature management approach: a conventional temperature maintenance group (n = 112) and a multimodal temperature management group (n = 87). Propensity score matching (PSM), using caliper values, resulted in the matching of 156 patients, with 78 in each group. Baseline and perioperative data were compared between the two groups before and after matching.

The lowest body temperature in both groups was recorded at time point T5. From T1 to T7, the multimodal temperature management group consistently demonstrated higher body temperatures compared to the conventional group (P < .05). Additionally, the conventional group exhibited significantly higher rates of postoperative shivering and agitation (P < .05), longer stays in the postoperative anesthesia recovery room (P < .05), and lower quality of recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores (P < .05). These differences were statistically significant (P < .05).

Patients undergoing OLT experienced a notable decline in body temperature throughout the perioperative period, with the lowest temperature recorded at the onset of the neohepatic phase. Multimodal temperature management was effective in maintaining more stable body temperatures, contributing to improved recovery outcomes.