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The Trouble With Transvaginal Mesh - August 2016 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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M A Y 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 9 5 Patient Warming Solutions What's the best way to maintain normothermia in your patients? A nesthesia costs the average surgical patient 3ºC, a debt that can easily push him into perioperative hypothermia. Even mild hypothermia can increase bleeding, pain and infection, prolong PACU stay and delay wound healing. It doesn't do much for patient satisfaction scores, either. Fortunately, you've got a wide array of options for keeping core temperatures between 36º and 38ºC. From convective (forced-air) warming technologies to electri- cally conductive table pads, and from blanket and fluid warming cabinets to heat-reflective garments, the goal of maintaining nor- mothermia and ensuring comfort before, during and after surgery for every patient is within your reach. But given the many solutions available, how do you know which ones will work best for your facility? We've compiled information on 15 warming products on the next several pages. First, though, here are 3 factors experts say you should consider before making your pur- chasing decision. What procedures are you doing? Or, to be more specific, what parts of the body are your surgeons operating on? The answer to this question will help to determine whether a warming method can flexibly accommodate patients' and physicians' needs. Anesthesia impairs the body's thermoregulatory responses, rendering it unable to shiver and generate heat on its own. Add to that situation the typical chill of the perioperative environment and the exposed skin of the surgical patient, and there's a high likelihood you'll see a case of inadvertent hypothermia. Covering the patient's body with a forced-air, electric or cloth blanket can help to head off hypothermia, but 1 Thinking of Buying … David Bernard

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