Quand utiliser les dispositifs actuels de réchauffement des fluides ?

Perioperative hypothermia, defined as a core body temperature below 36 °C, is a consequence of anaesthesia. The increase in perioperative bleeding, infections and cardiovascular events rates, as well as the difficulty to restore normothermia when hypothermia is effective, support the prevention of hypothermia. Different kinds of devices as forced-air warmers and/or intravenous fluid warmers are used in this setting. The administration of intravenous fluid at room temperature decreases indeed the core body temperature. The UK NICE guidelines recommend warming of all intraoperative infusions ≥ 500 mL. However, the ability of fluid warmers to maintain the core body temperature above 36 °C depends on the technique used, on the flow rate and the volume of administered fluids. Only using warmed fluids to maintain a normal core body temperature lead to excessive fluid administration. Consequently, to effectively and safely prevent hypothermia, it is necessary to combine fluid warming with another technique, as forced-air warming.