POST OPERATIVE HYPOTHERMIA: INCIDENCE, RELATION TO AGE AND SURGERY
Abstract
Background: The normothermic status of the patients during anesthesia is disturbed and hypothermia is a potentialproblem. This study was done using Aural thermometry technique to see pattern of post-operative hypothermia.
Methods: Patients (n=8Q) core temperature measurements (using aural temperature probes after proper calibration)
were obtained in the perioperative period. Results: Sixty-seven patients (83%) had temperature <36°C (mean <35.1°C
± 0.1) on admission to the recovery' room. This finding of definitive study was supported by an initial finding of the
preliminary study (n=103) indicating 89% of the patients with temperature <36°C on admission to the recovery room
(mean 34°C ± 0.1). Elderly patients (> 65 years) and patients undergoing surgery of longer duration demonstrated
high percentage and most marked decrease in temperature. A significant decrease in temperature, during leaving the
reception area and admission to recovery room was found in all the surgical subgroups but the patients undergoing
aortic reconstructive surgery showed marked decrease. Most of the patients were discharged with satisfactory
rewarming while 20% of patients were discharged from the recovery' room despite temperature below 36°C.
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