Effect of Forced-air Blanket, Warm Blanket and Its Combination to Post-operative Hypothermic Patients

Abstract

The incidence rate of postoperative hypothermia is still high. Many factors are causing post-operative hypothermia. One of the main causes for hypothermia is the induction of anesthesia as it impairs normal autonomic thermoregulatory control. The induction of anesthesia allows the body temperature of a patient to fall up to 6°C, with an average of 2°C. This study determined the effect of a warm blanket, forced air blanket and its combination to the postoperative hypothermic patient. A quasi-experimental design was utilized and participants were chosen through purposive sampling to ensure the 63 participants met the criteria for the study. Randomization through cast lot was employed in dividing participants into three groups with 21 participants each group. A warm

blanket, forced air blanket and its combination were effective in increasing body temperature of post- operative hypothermic patients. However, forced air blanket is better in increasing body temperature than a warm blanket. Further, the combination of warm blanket and forced air blanket was the best intervention in increasing the body temperature of hypothermic patients. Age did not affect the mean score of the participants’ body temperature in all treatments.