Perioperative hypothermia in patients undergoing major colorectal surgery

AbstractBackgroundPerioperative hypothermia occurs frequently and can have serious health‐related and financial consequences. Despite multiple warming methods available, perioperative hypothermia remains prevalent. To be effective, preventative measures must be timely and target patients most at risk. The aim of this retrospective review was to document the incidence and patterns of hypothermia in patients undergoing major colorectal surgery.MethodsHospital records were used to obtain demographic and clinical information on 255 patients undergoing major colorectal surgery over one year. Temperatures were recorded from five perioperative time‐points and correlated with potential contributing factors.ResultsMost patients (74%) experienced mild hypothermia, which was most common intraoperatively. Elective patients experienced the greatest drop in temperature between admission and commencement of surgery while emergency patients experienced a similar drop intraoperatively. The most significant determinant of intraoperative hypothermia was core temperature at the start of surgery (P < 0.01). Factors increasing hypothermia at the start of surgery were an elective presentation, an arri