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A
ctive patient warming is a proven defense against periopera-
tive hypothermia, which can triple the risk of surgical site
infections. Are your patient warming efforts compliant with
the leading clinical guidelines? An even more important ques-
tion: Are your efforts effective? Understanding why it is so
critically important to maintain normothermia among surgical patients is the
first step toward establishing an effective patient warming program.
Thermal threats
Perioperative hypothermia significantly increases the possibility of adverse
patient outcomes. Research has shown that, in addition to raising risk of SSIs, it
quadruples the risk of morbid cardiac events. The cascade of complications also
includes increased blood loss, as hypothermia induces coagulopathy; increased
Putting Patient Warming Into Practice
Are your efforts to prevent hypothermia effective or just
compliant? Victoria M. Steelman, PhD, RN, CNOR, FAAN | Iowa City, Iowa
z WORKING FOR WARMTH Forced-air warming products have been the
subject of abundant clinical research on maintaining patient normothermia.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
