The efficacy of a resistive heating under-patient blanket versus a forced-air warming system: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: We compared temperature changes in patients undergoing hip replacement during warming with a resistive heating blanket or air-forced system.

Methods: Fifty-six patients were enrolled. Patients were randomly allocated to the "forced-air group" (forced-air system) or to the "heating-blanket group" (resistive heating under-patient blanket).

Results: Baseline tympanic temperatures were 36.0 +/- 0.6 degrees C in the forced-air group and 36.1 +/- 0.4 degrees C in the heating-blanket group (P > 0.05). At the end of surgery tympanic temperatures were 35.3 +/- 0.5 degrees C in the forced-air group and 35.1 +/- 0.6 degrees C in the heating-pad group (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: We demonstrated that, using either a resistive heating-blanket or forced-air warming systems, patients ended surgery in mild hypothermia after elective total hip replacement, but without significant differences between these two warming devices.