Preprocedure Warming Maintains Normothermia Throughout the Perioperative Period: A Quality Improvement Project

Research supports the practice of preprocedure warming as a method to prevent the development of unplanned perioperative hypothermia. ASPAN defines hypothermia as a core temperature lower than 36°C. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to explore the idea that preprocedure warming maintains perioperative normothermia. Information was obtained through retrospective chart reviews (n = 148). Temperatures were compared for patients who received standard preprocedure care versus patients who were warmed with a warming gown for one hour preprocedure. Before the institution of warming, about 50% of the patients received in the PACU were hypothermic. After the warming was instituted, only 12% of patients were received in a hypothermic state in the PACU. Concepts discussed in this paper include preprocedure warming, postprocedure hypothermia, and complications associated with hypothermia.