Brief Limb‐Focused Prewarming in Adults Undergoing General Anesthesia: A Randomized Trial

Inadvertent hypothermia caused by redistribution of core heat after anesthesia induction is a common perioperative complication. This randomized controlled trial evaluated whether brief (five-minute) limb-focused warming added to whole-body prewarming improves efficiency and attenuates redistribution hypothermia during general anesthesia. Eighty-two adults undergoing laparoscopic lower gastrointestinal surgery were randomly assigned to a prewarming group (n = 41) or control group (n = 41). The intervention combined standard whole-body prewarming with targeted warming of both forearms and lower legs for five minutes before anesthesia induction. Core temperature, peripheral temperature, and perfusion index were recorded at baseline and peri-induction intervals. At 30 minutes after induction, the prewarming group had a higher median core temperature (36.8 °C versus 36.5 °C [98.2 °F versus 97.7 °F]; P = .046) and a smaller decline from baseline (P < .001), as well as higher peripheral temperature. This brief nurse-led approach provides efficient thermal protection without delaying anesthesia induction.