BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Anesthesiology involves the handling of situations inherent to anesthetic and surgical procedures which lead to patients thermal homeostasis unbalance, with noxious physiological effects. This study aimed at qualifying and quantifying thermal redistribution in rats subjected to inhalation anesthesia, during induction and in surgical situations of laparotomy and increased intra-abdominal pressure. METHODS: The study involved 90 rats, submitted to inhalation anesthesia, which were distributed in three groups: halothane; isoflurane; sevoflurane. Each group was divided in subgroups: I - control; II - median laparotomy with bowel exposure; III - 15 mmHg Increase in intra-abdominal pressure. Heat loss was measured by an esophageal probe and infrared thermal image. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among inhalation anesthetics regarding heat loss between groups I and II. In group III, there was a difference between isoflurane and sevoflurane and isoflurane was responsible for the highest heat loss.
ANESTHETICS; ANIMAL; HYPOTHERMIA; MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
