Incidental Hypothermia During Surgery for Peripheral Vascular Disease

Abstract

A 43-year-old woman undergoing extensive vascular surgery, lasting 8 hours, developed marked hypothermia. Her mean body temperature fell to 31.2° C. This was due to the extensive exposure of the viscera of the chest and abdomen, and peripheral vasodilatation caused by epidural analgesia. The probable consequences of such heat loss during surgery, and methods of its prevention, are discussed. The patient rapidly returned to normal body temperature after operation, without shivering. The management of the cold patient in the immediate postoperative period is reviewed.