Implementation of a Warming Protocol to Prevent Unintentional Perioperative Hypothermia in PACU

1 online resource (44 pages) : PDF

2019

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Title- Implementation of a Warming Protocol to Prevent Unintentional Perioperative Hypothermia in PACUCandidate: Michelle Johnson MSN, RNProgram: Doctor of Nursing PracticeSponsoring Chair: Dr. Katherine Shue McGuffinCommittee: Dr. Charlene Whitaker-Brown, Dr. Victoria Bae-JumpDefense Date: March 20, 2019 at 9:30amLocation: College Health and Human ServiceAbstract:Background/Problem: The incidence of hypothermia continues to rise in hospital patients post-surgically. As a result, healthcare providers are seeking more cost-effective and preventive measures to reduce hypothermia (Danzl, 2017). Perioperative hypothermia is a frequent and severe complication of surgery; it is associated with many undesirable outcomes, including patient discomfort, delayed or prolonged recovery, coagulopathy, surgical infections and adverse cardiac events (Foushee et al., 2018).Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the impact of a warming protocol to prevent perioperative hypothermia in Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).Methods: A total of 30 Gynecology Oncology patients receiving robotic or laparoscopic surgery, between the ages 35-75 years old, were enrolled in the study. An educational training was conducted with nursing staff and a prewarming protocol was implemented for the 30 patients using a Bair Hugger (forced-air-warming device). Subsequently, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative temperatures were evaluated for an increase in temperature following the utilization of a Bair Hugger warming device before and during surgery.Results: Evaluation of the protocol revealed that prewarming the patient prior to coming into the operating room was effective. The results of a box plot t-test show that preoperative to intraoperative temperatures improved (P<0.001). intraoperative to PACU temperatures improved (P<0.01), and intraoperative to PACU discharged temperatures improved after using a Bair Hugger device ( P<0.001). Conclusions: Implementation of a prewarming protocol using a forced-air-warming Bair Hugger device in the perioperative service area can improve temperatures postoperatively and may improve patient outcomes.

doctoral dissertations

Nursing
Women's studies
Health education

D.N.P.

Bair Hugger
Gynecology Oncology Patients
Hypothermia
Laparoscopic Surgeries
Prewarming
Robotics Surgeries

Health Services Research

McGuffin, Dr. Katherine

Whitaker-Brown, Dr. Charlene
Bae-Jump, Dr. Victoria
Piper, Dr. Crystal

Thesis (D.N.P.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2019.

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