Hypothermia and bleeding during abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair routinely have a depressed core body temperature during surgery, and hypothermia is known to cause abnormalities in coagulation. This study was designed to determine whether platelet function is altered as a result of hypothermia or heparin during abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Ten patients scheduled for abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery were prospectively studied. Bleeding times and temperature were measured every hour beginning preoperatively. Each patient was heparinized intraoperatively, and the effects reversed with protamine sulfate prior to closure. Despite efforts to keep the patients warm, all of them developed hypothermia (mean lowest core temperature 34.8 +/- 0.7 degrees C). A significant linear relationship between the change in core temperature and the change in bleeding time was demonstrated. In 7 of 10 cases the greatest change in bleeding time occurred when patients experienced the lowest mean core temperature and not when they were heparinized. These data suggest that hypothermia has a marked effect on platelet function during abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Although heparin can cause abnormalities in platelet function, hypothermia may be a more important role in inhibiting normal platelet function. By preventing severe hypothermia (< 35 degree C), excessive bleeding associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm repair may be minimized without the concomitant risk of blood product transfusion.