Heated humidification for infants during anesthesia

Abstract

The authors evaluated the benefits of a new heated humidifier in 29 infants and small children undergoing anesthesia and operation using a Jackson Rees' modification of the Ayre's T piece. An ambient temperature of 23.9 C, warming blanket at 37.5 C, and any blood administered warmed to 37.5 C were used in all patients. The control group of 13 infants was managed without heating or humidification of the anesthetic gases. In the control group, 11 of 13 patients showed decreases in body temperature averaging 1.72 F. In the study group of 16 patients in which the heated humidifier was used, only 4 of 16 patients showed decreases in body temperature, and the group as a whole averaged a 0.71 F gain. Heated humidification is not only helpful in maintaining body temperature, but prevents damage to the ciliated epithelium of the tracheobronchial tree caused by dry anesthetic gases.