In the fixed effect model , the warming group had significantly less pain and lower incidence of wound infection , compared with the no-warming group .
In the r and om effect model , the warming group was also associated with lower risk of post-anesthetic shivering .
Both in the r and om and the fixed effect models , the warming group was associated with significantly less blood loss .
Perioperative warming of surgical patients is effective in reducing postoperative wound pain , wound infection and shivering .
Systemic warming of the surgical patient is also associated with less perioperative blood loss through preventing hypothermia-induced coagulopathy .
OBJECTIVE The objective of this review was to systematic ally analyze the trials on the effectiveness of perioperative warming in surgical patients .
Warming by resistive heating maintains perioperative normothermia as well as forced air heating.
BACKGROUND Even mild perioperative hypothermia is associated with several severe adverse effects . Resistive heating has possible advantages compared with other active warming systems because it can heat several fields independently . To assess this new warming system , we measured core temperature in patients during surgery who were warmed with circulating water mattresses , forced air covers or resistive heating covers . METHODS Twenty-four patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were r and omly assigned to ( i ) circulating water mattress ( 38 degrees C ) , ( ii ) forced air warming ( set to ' medium ' ) or ( iii ) carbon-fibre resistive warming ( 38 degrees C ) . Warming was applied throughout anaesthesia and surgery . The groups were compared using one-way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls tests . RESULTS Confounding factors were similar among the groups . Core temperatures in each group decreased for 20 min , but subsequently increased in the forced air and resistive heating groups . There was no significant difference between the forced air and resistive heating groups at any time . In contrast , core temperature in the circulating water group continued to decrease . Consequently , core temperature in the circulating water group was significantly lower than in the other groups 30 min after anaesthetic induction and at later times . CONCLUSIONS Resistive heating maintains core body temperature as well as forced air heating and both are better than circulating water . Resistive heating offers the advantage of adjustable heating pods
In the fixed effect model , the warming group had significantly less pain and lower incidence of wound infection , compared with the no-warming group .
In the r and om effect model , the warming group was also associated with lower risk of post-anesthetic shivering .
Both in the r and om and the fixed effect models , the warming group was associated with significantly less blood loss .
Perioperative warming of surgical patients is effective in reducing postoperative wound pain , wound infection and shivering .
Systemic warming of the surgical patient is also associated with less perioperative blood loss through preventing hypothermia-induced coagulopathy .
OBJECTIVE The objective of this review was to systematic ally analyze the trials on the effectiveness of perioperative warming in surgical patients .