The Comparison of Two Recovery Room Warming Methods for Hypothermia Patients Who Had Undergone Spinal Surgery

• Published in: Journal of nursing scholarship 2012-03, Vol.44 (1), p.2-10
• Main Authors: Yang, Hsiu-Ling, Lee, Hsiu-Fang, Chu, Tsung-Lane, Su, Yu-Yun, Ho, Lun-Hui, Fan, Jun-Yu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Back surgery; Bedding and Linens; Blankets; Body temperature; Efficiency; Equipment and Supplies, Hospital; Female; General anesthesia; Health care expenditures; Health costs; Heat; Hospitals; Humans; Hypothermia; Hypothermia - therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Nursing; Patient satisfaction; postoperative; Postoperative Care - methods; Recovery Room; Rewarming - methods; spinal surgery; Spine - surgery; Surgery; Time Factors; warming method; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1527-6546; 1547-5069
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01426.x

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the time needed to reach a specified temperature and the efficiency of two warming methods—warm cotton blankets and a radiant warmer—for hypothermia patients in a postanesthetic care unit (PACU) after spinal surgery. Design: This study was conducted according to a quasi‐experimental design. Data were collected from a medical referral center in northern Taiwan. A total of 130 post–spinal surgery patients with hypothermia were recruited in the study. Methods: Of the 130 patients in the PACU, 65 were warmed by the radiant warmer (group R); whereas the other 65 patients were warmed by warm cotton blankets (group B). Tympanic temperature was measured for each patient every 10 min until it reached 36°C in the PACU. Analysis of covariance and generalized estimating equation regression analysis were performed to compare the time needed to reach a specified temperature and the efficiency of the two warming methods, respectively. Findings: Both groups were similar in their baseline characteristics. After adjusting for temperature upon arrival at the PACU, group R needed a significantly shorter time for rewarming to 36°C than group B (F [1, 125]= 58.17, p < .001). The results of the generalized estimating equation also showed that the radiant warmer was more efficient than warm cotton blankets in increasing patients’ body temperatures to 36°C (χ2= 37.44, p < .001). None of the patients appeared to have wound infections, and there were no differences in the length of hospital stay or medical costs for current hospitalization in both groups. Conclusions: Using the radiant warmer may be a more efficient method than providing warm cotton blankets for warming post–spinal surgery hypothermia patients in the PACU. Clinical Relevance: For hospitals that are unable to use forced‐air warming to warm postsurgical hypothermia patients in the PACU, the radiant warmer is a more efficient device to rewarm patients. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2011; XX:X, XXX–XXX. ©2011 Sigma Theta Tau International.