The patient can control the temperature
setting themselves on the models we use,
something we call self-regulated warming.
Patients appreciate the sense of control
and comfort. They feel it's an extra level of
care and concern that's been provided for
them during their stay.
We found that patients who are
warmed in pre-op feel less anxious, and
because they're more comfortable,
they're easier to anesthetize. They wake
up after surgery easier, too. There's no
doubt prewarming leads to a better over-
all patient experience.
Our study supports the effectiveness of
prewarming patients to avoid IPH and its
related complications. Within our organi-
zation, word has spread about how this relatively simple intervention
has produced significant changes in how we can care for our patients
more effectively. We've also showed the importance of maintaining
normothermia and how relatively simple it is to address. We believe
healthcare systems should adopt new evidence and support execution
of AORN's and ASPAN's evidence-based guidelines on prewarming to
offer safe and comfortable care across the perioperative experience.
OSM
1 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 2 0
• COOL DOWN The heat emitted from warmed
cotton blankets dissipates rapidly, making the
passive warming method the least effective
option for maintaining normothermia.
Ms. Trump (mbaker2@memorialcare.org) is a clinical educator
and Ms. Medina and Ms. Rainier are staff nurses at
MemorialCare's Long Beach (Calif.) Medical Center and Miller
Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach.
