ABSTRACT

Preventing hypothermia is important for anestetic management. Forced-air is a very effective method for preventing complications of hypothermia.

After obtaining Etical Commitee approval, this study was conducted as a prospective, randomized study including 70 patients who were planned to undergo elective abdominal surgery between 7 December 2015-7 February 2016 in surgery clinic. Patients between age 16-65, ASA I-III who were planned to undergo elective abdominal surgery were included in the study. Patients were devided into two groups, group 1 (n=35) randomized, not heated before operation, heated during operation by forced-air method and group 2 (n=35) heated before operation in PACU. All patients were heated with forced-air during operation.

In the analyzing of two groups, the frequency of postoperative respiratory distress, cardiac morbidity, intraoperatif blood volume loss, duration of neuromuscular blockage was significantly higher in the group 1 (n=35) that were not preheated before the surgery than the group 2 (n=35) that were preheated before the surgery. The average body temperature of group 2 (n=35) after induction, 15., 30., 60., minutes, before extubation and at the PACU was significantly higher than group 1 (n=35) (p:0,001; p<0,05). Statistically there is no significant differences in the ratio of postoperative surgical area infection risk between two groups.

Preoperative body temperature must be measured before the patient arrrives at operating room and its follow up is a very important parameter. Patients should be transferred to operating room when their body temperature is at least above 36°C and if the body temperature is below 36°C, patients should be heated by active systems. Patients should be heated for 30 minutes with forced-air systems before surgery at operating room.