Temperature monitoring during general anaesthesia

A study of core temperature monitoring during general anesthesia indicates that this can be introduced as a routine procedure in order to reduce mortality from malignant hyperpyrexia. The temperature profiles of 2410 patients are presented. Both mean rectal and mean oesophageal temperatures decreased during general anaesthesia. The mean oesophageal temperatures were on average 0.6 degrees C less than the mean rectal temperatures during the first hour of anaesthesia. An increase in core temperature occurred in nearly 20% of patients. This appeared to be related to an initially low body temperature. Core temperatures during general anesthesia were significantly greater in patients who received the combination of suxamethonium and halothane than in patients receiving other drugs. This observation is of theoretical interest and suggests that the increase of temperature in malignant hyperpyrexia may be an exaggeration of a normal response to these agents.