Systemic warming before, during, and after major abdominal surgery reduced postoperative complications more than warming during surgery only
Q Does systemic warming before, during, and after major abdominal surgery reduce postoperative morbidity more than warming during surgery only?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial.
Allocation:
{concealed}.*
Blinding:
blinded (healthcare providers and {data collectors}*).
Follow-up period:
6–8 weeks after surgery.
Setting:
a hospital in the UK.
Patients:
103 adults >18 years of age (age range 20–88 y, 51% men) who were having major open abdominal surgery, mostly for colorectal cancer (69%). Exclusion criteria were laparoscopic procedures; use of corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs 4 weeks before surgery; recent fever or infection; serious malnutrition; and bowel obstruction.
Intervention:
all patients were placed on an Inditherm® warming mattress (Inditherm, Rotherham, UK) 2 hours before transfer to the operating theatre. 47 patients were allocated to the perioperative warming group, and the …
