Publication Date
Fall 11-18-2015
School
School of Nursing
Major
Nursing (B.S.N.)
Keywords
general anesthesia, prewarming, hypothermia, unplanned perioperative hypothermia, adults
Disciplines
Perioperative, Operating Room and Surgical Nursing
Recommended Citation
Wrigley, Paige F., "A Review of the Evidence: Prewarming Adults Prior to General Anesthesia in the Prevention of Unplanned Perioperative Hypothermia" (2015). Senior Honors Theses. 550.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/550
Abstract
Unplanned perioperative hypothermia (UPH), a common event in the surgical setting, is associated with many adverse patient outcomes. In current perioperative practice, patient core temperature is monitored and active warming interventions are implemented during the intraoperative and postoperative phases in response to UPH. The literature suggests preoperative warming of patients as a proactive measure may be more effective in the prevention of UPH. In the form of an integrative review, this thesis seeks to address the research question: For adult patients undergoing general anesthesia, how does preoperative warming compared to no preoperative warming affect UPH incidence? A database search yields ten studies for inclusion and study findings are synthesized and summarized. The conclusion is drawn there is sufficient evidence to support preoperative warming as an effective measure to decrease UPH incidence and should be considered for implementation in clinical practice as the benefits outweigh the risks.
