Effects of air-heated blankets on hypothermia and quality of recovery in patients undergoing radical resection for endometrial cancer: A randomized trial.

BACKGROUND

Perioperative hypothermia is a common complication in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of air-heated blankets on perioperative hypothermia and quality of recovery in patients undergoing radical resection for endometrial cancer.

METHODS

A total of 80 patients who underwent radical resection for endometrial cancer were enrolled and randomly divided into the control group (Group C) and experimental group (Group A) (n = 40). Routine nursing measures were used in Group C. Patients in Group A were continuously kept warm with an air-heated blanket (38°C) from the induction of anesthesia until the end of surgery. The core body temperature, intraoperative blood loss, extubation time, eye-opening time and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay were recorded. The incidence of hypothermia, postoperative agitation, shivering, postoperative nausea and vomiting and delayed awakening was observed.

RESULTS

The incidence of hypothermia was significantly lower in group A (2.5% vs 45%, P = .001), and the body temperature 30 minutes after the induction of anesthesia and 1 hour after the beginning of the operation were significantly higher than that in the group C (P < .05). Intraoperative blood loss was reduced in group A that in the group C (135.8 ± 38.8 vs 155.8 ± 48.7 mL, P < .046). The extubation time, eye-opening time, and PACU stay were shorter in group A that in the group C (all P < .05). The incidence of postoperative shivering was lower than that in Group C (2.5% vs 20%, P < .024).

CONCLUSION

The use of air-heating blanket could reduce the incidence of intraoperative hypothermia and postoperative shivering, shorten the extubation time and eye-opening time, and reduce intraoperative blood loss in patients undergoing radical resection for endometrial cancer.