Incidence of Hypothermia and Factors Associated with Body Temperature Changes during Surgery in Burned Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The study aimed to evaluate the changes of body temperature and to identify the factors related to changes during surgery in burned patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of 439 adult burned patients who had a surgery under general anesthesia at the Burn Center of a university hospital. RESULTS: After surgery, body temperature of the burned patients declined from 36.6℃ to 35.2℃; 52.2% were hypothermia. There were significant differences in the changes of body temperature according to the participants' characteristics including American society of anesthesiologists physical status, type of burn injury, total burn surface area, range of exposure, operation time, anesthesia time, amount of fluid, blood transfusion, use of tourniquet, and the method of warming therapy. Factors that influence the temperature changes were total burn surface area (β=0.26), operation time (β=0.25), amount of fluid (0.20), and warming therapy including ‘Room temperature setting + Heated circuit + Hot line’(β=0.09) and ‘Room temperature setting+one of others’(β=0.08). CONCLUSION: Burned patients experienced a decrease of their body temperature during surgery despite of warming therapy. A nursing protocol is needed to provide an appropriate warming therapy based on their characteristics in burned patients.