PATIENT BODY WARMING SYSTEM

Patient body warming systems were developed in the 1980s and are acknowledge as being the most clinically effective patient warming modality. The advantages of avoiding hypothermia for patients undergoing major surgical procedures are well established and include decreased blood loss (with consequent reduction in blood product use) wound infection, duration of intensive care and hospital stay and cardiac ischemia and increased survival. Transient perioperative hypothermia occurs as a consequence of surgery and general anesthesia and is associated with increased blood loss, increased transfusion rates poor wound healing, increased duration of inpatient stays and higher rate of surgical site infection. It is well established that patient body warming system are frequently used in surgery in order to maintain normothermia and prevent such complications. Here in, we describe and compare commercially available warming system that are effective for maintaining normothermia during the perioperative period.