Abstract
1. Mild hypothermia (Tc=32-34°C) is useful in protecting the brain and spinal cord from ischemic injury during certain surgical procedures (cerebral aneurysm, thoracic aortic aneurysm repair). 2. Postoperative shivering increases metabolic demands by ≃40% in the average patient. 3. The adrenergic effects of postoperative hypothermia are manifest as increased norepinephrine, vasomotor tone, and arterial blood pressure. 4. Postoperative myocardial ischemia occurs 2-3 times more frequently in patients with Tc < 35.0°C than in normothermic patients. The relative risk of postoperative cardiac morbidity can be reduced by 55% when hypothermia is prevented during surgery using forced-air warming. 5. Coagulation is impaired at Tc < 35.0°C, predisposing to increased surgical bleeding. The risk of wound infection is increased 3-fold in patients who are hypothermic (Tc < 35.0°C) during surgery.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 151-155 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Thermal Biology |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 1-2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2000 |
Keywords
- Adrenergic
- Cardiovascular
- Catecholamine
- Hypothermia
- Ischemia
- Metabolic
- Morbidity
- Perioperative
- Shivering
- Thermoregulation
- Vasoconstriction
- Warming
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
- Developmental Biology