Warmed intravenous infusion for controlling intraoperative hypothermia

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: to verify the effectiveness of warmed intravenous infusion for hypothermia prevention in patients during the intraoperative period. METHOD: experimental, comparative, field, prospective and quantitative study undertaken at a federal public hospital. The sample was composed of 60 adults, included based on the criteria of axillary temperature between 36oC and 37.1oC and surgical abdominal access, divided into control and experimental groups, using the systematic probability sampling technique. RESULTS: 22 patients (73.4%) from both groups left the operating room with hypothermia, that is, with temperatures below 36oC (p=1.0000). The operating room temperature when patients arrived and patients' temperature when they arrived at the operating room were statistically significant to affect the occurrence of hypothermia. CONCLUSION: the planning and implementation of nursing interventions carried out by baccalaureate nurses are essential for preventing hypothermia and maintaining perioperative normothermia.