Patient Warming in Operating Theatres

[scotsnurse72]

Hi Everyone

I'm new to allnurses.com and am at present in the process of completing an anaesthetic assistant course at university.

I work in a sick children's hospital in the united kingdom, working with neonates up to children aged approx 16 years old. At present we don't have any protocols in place for routine warming of patients.

My assessment is an essay on prevention of perioperative hypothermia. I'm managing to get articles to use for referencing but I'm having problems putting it all together.

You may have guessed I'm not very academic

Can anyone give me any tips?

I'd also be delighted to hear what other hospitals are doing for routine warming of patients during anaesthesia and if they have any protocols in place.

Thanks so much

Elaine :bowingpur:bowingpur:bowingpur

[Halinja, BSN, RN]

I'm not sure how much this will help, but I work at a surgical center. We use something called a BAIR hugger, which is basically a double layer paper gown with two ports. We plug something that looks like a vacuum cleaner hose into a port and turn on a little device the size of a serving platter. It pumps hot air through the hose. We use them in pre-op, OR, and post-op. Our patients love them. Google Bair Hugger and you'll get several hits with good info.

[core0]

Hi Everyone

I'm new to allnurses.com and am at present in the process of completing an anaesthetic assistant course at university.

I work in a sick children's hospital in the united kingdom, working with neonates up to children aged approx 16 years old. At present we don't have any protocols in place for routine warming of patients.

My assessment is an essay on prevention of perioperative hypothermia. I'm managing to get articles to use for referencing but I'm having problems putting it all together.

You may have guessed I'm not very academic

Can anyone give me any tips?

I'd also be delighted to hear what other hospitals are doing for routine warming of patients during anaesthesia and if they have any protocols in place.

Thanks so much

Elaine :bowingpur:bowingpur:bowingpur

Here is a pretty good handout. Look at number 4. Basically with peds it involves room temperature, warm fluids and warming blankets. Overbody units like the Bair Hugger work OK in bigger kids but not so well in the younger set. At the bottom of this there is a reference to two pretty good pediatric papers.

http://www.nichq.org/pdf/SurgicalSiteInfections.pdf

Here is the surgical care improvement project site to look at also:

http://www.qualitynet.org/dcs/ContentServer?c=MQParents&pagename=Medqic%2FContent%2FParentShellTemplate&cid=1137346750659&parentName=TopicCat

David Carpenter, PA-C

[Scrubby]

Also you want to avoid unnecessary exposure. For example, if your doing an abdominal case only exposure the surgical area prior to applying skin prep and draping, rather than leaving the patient all exposed to the cold room environment for long periods of time.

[maeyken]

We use the bair huggers, too (although we don't do much peds). It's up to the anesthetist, but usually cases 2h or more get them. Often anesthesia monitors the pt's temp with a disposable probe that is put into an orifice (mouth or bottom).

Shorter surgeries usually get a fresh warm blanket just before draping.