Hypothermia
Essays

Postoperative hypothermia represents a significant threat to patient health. Surgical wounds may become infected, drugs may not function as expected, and bleeding problems may develop. Hypothermia can therefore increase the length of hospital stays and hospitalization costs. A recent study compared the relative effectiveness of pre-warmed hospital blankets with radiant heat for warming postoperative patients in a PACU setting. This study was critiqued in terms of study design, methodological approach, internal and external validity, and the relevance of the conclusions.

This work has examined the use of hypothermia in treating cardiac arrest, which is an important scientific advance especially for the American Heart Association's goal of reducing mortality rates associated with heart…