| Author: | Wong, Ying-hon |
| Title: | A comparison of the upper and lower body forced-air warming blankets during abdominal surgery |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 2002 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations Abdomen -- Surgery Hypothermia -- Prevention Blankets |
| Department: | School of Nursing |
| Pages: | xi, 64 leaves ; 30 cm |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Background: Perioperative hypothermia is one of the common complications during abdominal surgery with general an aesthesia. Forced-air warming (FAW) systems are proved and identified as one of the efficient devices for preventing hypothermia. Patients can use either the upper or lower body FAW blanket during surgery. However, the upperbody FAW blanket is more difficult for the an aesthetist or nurses to perform clinical assessment or monitoring during surgery. It is also easier to be contaminated and cost consuming. If both FAW blankets have no significance in warming effect on operative patient, the lower body FAW blanket is a better choice than the upper one. Methods: The objective of the study is to compare the warming effect of the upper and lower body FAW blankets when used for major abdominal surgeries. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups. 14 patients in the upper body FAW blanket group and 20 patients in the lower one. Operating room temperature was set at 21+-l C. Patients' aural temperature was measured before anaesthesia. After anaesthetizing the patients, FAW blanket was covered and air was warmed to 43 C. The patients' nasal and rectal temperature and the operating room's temperature were recorded for every 20 minutes till the end of the surgeries. Results: Patients' body temperature between groups was dropped (p<0.05) in start (Upper blanket group: mean nasal temperature was 36.17 C, mean rectal temperature was 36.51 C; Lower blanket group: mean nasal temperature was 36.06 C, mean rectal temperature was 36.36 C) to the first hour of operation (Upper blanket group: mean nasal temperature was 35.93 C, mean rectal temperature was 36.16 C; Lower blanket group: mean nasal temperature was 35.65 C, mean rectal temperature was 36.00 C). With the warming effect in both FAW blankets, patients' body temperature between groups had no difference (p>0.05) from start to end of operation (Upper blanket group: mean nasal temperature was 36.18 C, mean rectal temperature was 36.32 C; Lower blanket group: mean nasal temperature was 35.83 C, mean rectal temperature was 36.14 C). Blood loss, blood transfusion, IV fluid infusion, operation time, peritoneal washing, time elapsed on applying blanket, types of anaesthesia and types of blanket did not interfere (p>0.05) the effectiveness of both FAW blankets. The upper body FAW blanket (0.89hr) had longer timedelay on applying to the subject than the lower one (0.80hr). Thus, the body temperature drop in the upper body group (nasal temperature was 0.34 C, rectal temperature was 0.037 C) was greater than the lower one (nasal temperature was 0.29 C, rectal temperature was 0.035 C). Conclusions: The upper and lower body FAW blanket has effects on prevention of hypothermia during operation. Since both blankets have similar effects, the lower body FAW blanket can replace the upper one for the patient having abdominal surgery with supine position and no medical history of poor blood circulation in the lower extremities. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b16416363.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.45 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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