Elsevier

Journal of Clinical Anesthesia

Volume 34, November 2016, Pages 547-554
Journal of Clinical Anesthesia

Original Contribution
Active perioperative patient warming using a self-warming blanket (BARRIER EasyWarm) is superior to passive thermal insulation: a multinational, multicenter, randomized trial

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2016.06.030Get rights and content
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open access

Highlights

  • We compared the new self-warming Barrier® EasyWarm® blanket with passive thermal insulation with regard to perioperative patient body temperature in a multinational randomized clinical trial (n=246).

  • Secondary endpoints were incidence of perioperative hypothermia (<36°C) and patients' comfort level.

  • The Barrier® EasyWarm® blanket improved perioperative patient body temperature compared with standard hospital blankets (p<0.001). Intra- and postoperative incidence of hypothermia was reduced using the new actively warming blanket (p=0.001).

  • Patients' thermal comfort was improved with the Barrier® EasyWarm® blanket without serious adverse effects.

  • The new actively warming blanket seems feasible for prewarming of surgical patients and could be easily integrated in their perioperative clinical pathway.

Abstract

Study Objective

Incidence of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia is still high; therefore, present guidelines advocate “prewarming” for its prevention. Prewarming means preoperative patient skin warming, which minimizes redistribution hypothermia caused by induction of anesthesia. In this study, we compared the new self-warming BARRIER EasyWarm blanket with passive thermal insulation regarding mean perioperative patient core body temperature.

Design

Multinational, multicenter randomized prospective open-label controlled trial.

Setting

Surgical ward, operation room, postanesthesia care unit at 4 European hospitals.

Patients

A total of 246 adult patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists class I to III undergoing elective orthopedic; gynecologic; or ear, nose, and throat surgery scheduled for 30 to 120 minutes under general anesthesia.

Interventions

Patients received warmed hospital cotton blankets (passive thermal insulation, control group) or BARRIER EasyWarm blanket at least 30 minutes before induction of general anesthesia and throughout the perioperative period (intervention group).

Measurements

The primary efficacy outcome was the perioperative mean core body temperature measured by a tympanic infrared thermometer. Secondary outcomes were hypothermia incidence, change in core body temperature, length of stay in postanesthesia care unit, thermal comfort, patient satisfaction, ease of use, and adverse events related to the BARRIER EasyWarm blanket.

Main Results

The BARRIER EasyWarm blanket significantly improved perioperative core body temperature compared with standard hospital blankets (36.5°C, SD 0.4°C, vs 36.3, SD 0.3°C; P < .001). Intraoperatively, in the intervention group, hypothermia incidence was 38% compared with 60% in the control group (P = .001). Postoperatively, the figures were 24% vs 49%, respectively (P = .001). Patients in the intervention group had significantly higher thermal comfort scores, preoperatively and postoperatively. No serious adverse effects were observed in either group.

Conclusions

Perioperative use of the new self-warming blanket improves mean perioperative core body temperature, reduces the incidence of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia, and improves patients' thermal comfort during elective adult surgery.

Keywords

Perioperative hypothermia
Guideline on surgical patient thermal management
Prewarming
Self-warming blanket

Cited by (0)

Disclosure: The clinical trial was supported by Mölnlycke Health Care AB, Gothenburg, Sweden.

1

Authors contributed equally to the manuscript.