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Occurrence and factors associated with hypothermia during elective abdominal surgery

Abstract

Objective

To analyze the association between sociodemographic, clinical, surgical and environmental variables and the occurrence of hypothermia.

Methods

Cross-sectional and analytical study conducted with 105 adult patients of both genders. The Pearson’s coefficient showed a correlation between the patients’ temperature with the duration of the anesthetic-surgical period, the stay in the operating room, and the average temperature in the operating room.

Results

Of the 105 (100%) participants, 73 (69.5%) were female and 85 (81%) were adults. Hypothermia occurred in 98 (93.3%) patients. The average temperature was 36.1°C at the start of anesthetic procedure, with gradual decrease, reaching the average of 34°C. At the beginning of anesthetic induction, 29 (27.6%) patients had ear temperature <36 ° C and 60 minutes after induction, 78 (85.7%) patients were hypothermic, with an average temperature of 35.2 ° C. At the end of anesthesia, 93 (88.6%) patients had hypothermia with a minimum temperature of 31.4ºC.

Conclusion

There was no significant correlation between the patient’s average temperature and the average temperature of the operating room. The variables of female gender, combined anesthesia, duration of the procedure and the length of stay in the operating room were statistically significant to predict hypothermia.

Hypothermia; Perioperative nursing; Intraoperative period; Operating room nursing; Digestive system surgical procedures

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