What strategies reduce intraoperative hypothermia?

• A. Forced-Air Warming, Warmed IV Fluids, Ambient OR Temperature Control.
• B. Cooling The Patient With Ice Packs.
• C. Lowering The OR Temperature.
• D. Avoiding Warmer IV Fluids.

Answer: (A)

Active warming and minimizing heat loss during surgery are the most effective ways to prevent intraoperative hypothermia. Forced-air warming blankets provide consistent heat to the skin, helping to raise and maintain the patient’s core temperature despite anesthesia, which blunts the body's natural heat-generating responses. Warming IV fluids prevents cooling that comes from infusing room-temperature or cold fluids, a common source of heat loss. Keeping the operating room temperature adequately warm reduces the temperature gradient between the patient and the environment, further limiting heat loss through radiation and convection.

Choices that involve cooling the patient, lowering the room temperature, or avoiding warmer IV fluids would work against these goals, making hypothermia more likely. So using a combination of active warming with forced-air devices, warmed IV fluids, and a warmer ambient OR environment best reduces intraoperative hypothermia.