The effect of preoperative warming on perioperative hypothermia in transurethral prostatectomies

Core body temperature is tightly regulated by thermoregulatory defense mechanisms such as sweating, shivering and arteriovenous shunt vasoconstriction. Perioperative hypothermia is defined as a core body temperature less than 36 °C during surgery and the postoperative period (1,2). General anesthetics represent one of the most common cause of perioperative hypothermia. They impair several thermoregulatory defenses such as vasoconstriction and shivering and lead to thermal redistribution (3). Perioperative hypothermia is associated with several complications such as coagulopathy (4), increased transfusion requirement (5), shivering (6), thermal discomfort (2), delayed drug metabolism (7), increased risk of surgical site infection (3), tissue ischemia (8), and delayed wound healing. Additionally, it may reduce patient satisfaction, prolong length of hospital stay, and increase hospital costs (1). Perioperative hypothermia is more accentuated in the elderly population undergoing transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) surgery in part due to the excessive use of irrigation fluids and in part due to their reduced thermoregulatory capacity (9). The effect of preoperative warming on perioperative hypothermia in transurethral prostatectomies