Benefits of Passive Warming on Surgical Patients Undergoing Regional Anesthetic Procedures

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if application of preoperative passive warming methods would maintain body temperature in patients receiving regional anesthetic procedures (RAPs). Design: A nonrandomized quasi-experimental design was used. Methods: A passive warming trial using a convenience sample of 53 RAP patients warmed with passive measures was compared with data collected from 67 retrospective chart reviews of RAP patients warmed per standard unit policy-typically active forced warm air. Passive measures included a thermal reflective surgical cap and an activated chemical warmer. Findings: Passive warming methods maintained temperatures throughout the perioperative process. No significant variations in mean temperatures were noted. As age increased, the difference in temperature from admit to transfer to operating room also increased (P = .0182). Conclusions: Passive warming is a suitable cost-effective alternative when forced-air warming is not feasible. Additional inquiry into the use of passive warming is warranted.