Comparison between forced air and intravenous fluid warmer in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery: A randomized trial

Abstract

© 2018, Medical Association of Thailand. All rights reserved. Background: Peri-operative hypothermia is a common problem in anesthesia. Objective: To compare the difference between core and room temperature in patients undergoing gynecologic laparoscopic surgery by using forced air and intravenous fluid warmer. Materials and Methods: After IRB approval COA: Si201/2016, the present study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02990429. A prospective experimental study was conducted with 90 patients. All participants were randomized into two groups, A) receiving intra-operative forced air warming, and B) having intra-operative intravenous fluid via a flowing warmer. The core and room temperatures were measured at 15-minute interval until the end of surgery. The data was expressed as means and standard deviation. The p-value lower than 0.05 was considered statistical significance at 95% confidence interval. Results: Eighty-six patients completed the trial. Temperature of both groups appeared to decrease insignificantly after induction, but it showed a slightly lower in group B (22.8±1.3°C) as compared to group A (22.9±1.0°C). In addition, group A (35.4±0.7°C) presented a little higher temperature than that of group B (35.2±0.8°C) in the recovery room. Conclusion: The forced air warmer was as clinically effective as the fluid warmer in gynecologic laparaoscopic surgery.