CARDIOVASCULAR ENGINEERING Journal for Extracorporeal Circulation, Assist Devices,Transplantation and Artificial Organs
	Volume 5, 2000, No 1

Prevention of Intraoperative Heat Loss using a Circulating Air Heating Blanket during Minimally Invasive Aorto-coronary Bypass Surgery
V. Klundt*, J. Nicolai, S. Otto, N. Hartmann

The objective of our study was to examine whether using a circulating air heating blanket developed especially for the field of cardiac surgery (Bair Hugger, Md. 630) can minimize intraoperative heat loss any further, i.e. beyond the extensive heat-preserving measures already taken, in patients undergoing minimally invasive aorto-coronary bypass surgery (ACB) and accessed via median stenotomy.

In order to prevent heat loss, the theater temperature was raised for both groups (Group I [n=10]: heat preservation without a heating blanket; Group II [n=8]: heat preservation with an additional heating blanket) to 24°C with a relative humidity of 60%. All patients were placed on a circulating warm water blanket; all infused solutions were administered at body temperature and fresh anesthetic gas flow was limited to 1l/min.

The body temperature of the patients in Group II increased rapidly towards the end of surgery, ultimately differing only slightly from baseline.

By applying the circulating air heating blanket, intraoperative heat loss could thus be further minimized, leading us to recommend its use without reservation.

Key words: minimally invasive cardiac surgery, heat preservation

Address for Correspondence:
Volkmar Klundt, M.D.
Heart Center, Ruhr-University of Bochum
Georgstr. 11
D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen
Germany

Reference:
(CVE. 2000; 5 (1): 50-52)

PABST SCIENCE PUBLISHERS
Lengerich, Berlin, Riga, Rom, Wien, Zagreb