temperature of the fluid that's going to be delivered to the patient,
based on your typical flow rates, and choose a model that fits your
needs. Pricing and ergonomics are the other considerations. The end
users — the OR staff — have to be comfortable putting the warmer
together and using it the way the manufacturer recommends, since
every system is a little different.
The best thing to do is to trial any machine you're considering and
to answer 2 questions: Does it do what you expect it to do? And will
people use it? In other words, is it easy enough to set up and make
part of the routine? It should be easy to turn on and off, easy to
install, easy to clean, easy to use, and of course, safe, reliable and effi-
cient. OSM
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My rule of thumb: I make sure the fluid
warmer is connected before induction of
anesthesia for any patient who's going to
require at least a liter of fluid.
Dr. Smith (csmith@metrohealth.org) is a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of
Medicine and the director of cardiothoracic and trauma anesthesia at MetroHealth Medical Center in
Cleveland, Ohio.
