I
f you want to roll out a
patient warming protocol
that requires your facility
to invest time, resources
money — and, of course,
a change to the status quo — you
need to give leadership a com-
pelling reason why the move is a
worthwhile investment. We knew
that active patient warming helps
to prevent unplanned periopera-
tive hypothermia, but our hospital
didn't have a standardized
method to warm patients, so we
gradually launched a successful
prewarming protocol across our
entire orthopedic service line,
and what we learned during the
process could convince you to
make changes to your own
patient-warming protocols.
Starting small
Your first order of business is to
create a warming protocol that's
effective, repeatable and right for
your facility. You don't have to
reinvent the wheel; there are
plenty of resources available to
guide you, including evidence-
backed guidelines from organiza-
tions such as AORN. Obviously,
the protocol will vary from facili-
ty to facility, and there are a num-
ber of different warming methods to choose from
(forced-air warming, conductive fabric devices,
circulating water devices), but the most important
component is choosing a process that employs
active warming, which, as the name suggests,
warms patients with an external source of heat, as
opposed to passive warming tactics, which only
prevent insulation against heat loss — warm blan-
kets, for example.
I also recommend starting small. Procedural
changes are a tough sell, especially when those
changes involve multiple staff levels (nurses, sur-
geons, techs and anesthesiologists). After some
open discussions with our surgeons and anesthesi-
F
E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 4 1
Kathy Abbott, BSN, RN | Phoenix, Ariz.
Warming Works Wonders
We trialed prewarming on a small group of patients,
and now interest is heating up among multiple specialties.
REAL TIME Phoenix Children's Hospital trialed a prewarming protocol on a small group of spinal fusion patients before
rolling it out to its entire orthopedic service line.
Rylee
Chalmers
