Limb blood flow. The influence of temperature during halothane-nitrous oxide anesthesia

Twenty adult patients were examined before anesthesia, during anesthesia, and at the end of surgery to determine the influence of body cooling on limb blood flow during prolonged halothane-nitrous oxide anesthesia. Measurements included temperature, mean arterial pressure, and leg blood flow. Cooling was prevented in ten patients by warmed anesthetic gases. The mean tympanic temperature at end of surgery was 37 degrees C for the warmed (W) and 35 degrees C for the unwarmed (UW) patients, a significant difference. The mean value for leg blood flow was significantly decreased in the UW patients (W = 5.0 vs UW = 3.1 mL/100 cc of tissue/min). These results indicate that body cooling during prolonged inhalation anesthesia was associated with a reduced limb blood flow. Therefore, pulmonary warming may be of potential benefit under similar conditions to help prevent intraoperative vascular complications.