Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, LinKou Branch, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.
J Nurs Scholarsh. 2012 Mar;44(1):2-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01426.x. Epub 2011 Dec 15.
The purpose of this study was to compare the time needed to reach a specified temperature and the efficiency of two warming methods-warm cotton blankets and a radiant warmer-for hypothermia patients in a postanesthetic care unit (PACU) after spinal surgery.
This study was conducted according to a quasi-experimental design. Data were collected from a medical referral center in northern Taiwan. A total of 130 post-spinal surgery patients with hypothermia were recruited in the study.
Of the 130 patients in the PACU, 65 were warmed by the radiant warmer (group R); whereas the other 65 patients were warmed by warm cotton blankets (group B). Tympanic temperature was measured for each patient every 10 min until it reached 36 °C in the PACU. Analysis of covariance and generalized estimating equation regression analysis were performed to compare the time needed to reach a specified temperature and the efficiency of the two warming methods, respectively.
Both groups were similar in their baseline characteristics. After adjusting for temperature upon arrival at the PACU, group R needed a significantly shorter time for rewarming to 36 °C than group B (F [1, 125]= 58.17, p < .001). The results of the generalized estimating equation also showed that the radiant warmer was more efficient than warm cotton blankets in increasing patients' body temperatures to 36 °C (χ2 = 37.44, p < .001). None of the patients appeared to have wound infections, and there were no differences in the length of hospital stay or medical costs for current hospitalization in both groups.
Using the radiant warmer may be a more efficient method than providing warm cotton blankets for warming post-spinal surgery hypothermia patients in the PACU.
For hospitals that are unable to use forced-air warming to warm postsurgical hypothermia patients in the PACU, the radiant warmer is a more efficient device to rewarm patients.
本研究旨在比较两种保温方法——暖棉毯和辐射保暖器——在脊柱手术后麻醉后恢复室（PACU）中为低体温患者复温所需的时间和效率。
本研究按照准实验设计进行。数据来自中国台湾北部的一家医疗转诊中心。共有 130 名在 PACU 中患有低体温症的脊柱手术后患者参与了本研究。
在 PACU 中的 130 名患者中，65 名患者使用辐射保暖器（组 R）进行保暖；而另外 65 名患者使用暖棉毯（组 B）保暖。每 10 分钟测量一次每位患者的鼓膜温度，直到在 PACU 中达到 36°C。使用协方差分析和广义估计方程回归分析分别比较达到特定温度所需的时间和两种保温方法的效率。
两组患者的基线特征相似。在调整到达 PACU 时的体温后，组 R 复温至 36°C 所需的时间明显短于组 B（F[1, 125] = 58.17，p <.001）。广义估计方程的结果还表明，辐射保暖器在将患者体温升高至 36°C 方面比暖棉毯更有效（χ2 = 37.44，p <.001）。两组患者均未出现伤口感染，且两组患者的住院时间和当前住院费用均无差异。
与提供暖棉毯相比，在 PACU 中使用辐射保暖器为脊柱手术后低体温患者复温可能是一种更有效的方法。
对于无法在 PACU 中使用强制空气加热为术后低体温患者复温的医院，辐射保暖器是一种更有效的复温设备。
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