The effect of pre-warmed intravenous fl uids on prevention of intraoperative hypothermia in cesarean section

Abstract

 Background:Hypothermia is one of the problems occurring during surgery, which can happen due to thermoregulation mechanism isorders and intake of low temperature IV fluids, and may cause increase in blood pressure, heart rate, intracranial pressure,oxygen consumption, pain, and discomfort to the patient. The rate of esarean section in our country is three times more than the global standard. As one of the responsibilities of the nurse is patient’s advocacy, s/he should support them. This study aimed to investigate the effect of pre-warmed intravenous fluids on prevention of hypothermia during general anesthesia in cesarean section.Materials and Methods:Sixty-two women undergoing elective cesarean section by general anesthesia were randomly allocated in two groups of intervention and control. Women in the intervention group received pre-warmed serum (37°C) while those in the control group received serum at room temperature (25.5°C). The core body temperature and some hemodynamic parameters of the participants were assessed during the operation.   

Conclusion: Infusion of pre-warmed serum (37°C) would prevent intraoperative hypothermia and improve the nursing care for women who undergo cesarean section by general anesthesia.

Key words: Cesarean, hypothermia, intravenous fuids, Iran, nursing care