Effects of air-heated blankets on hypothermia and quality of recovery in patients undergoing radical resection for endometrial cancer: A randomized trial

BACKGROUND: Perioperative hypothermia is a common complication in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of air-heated blankets on perioperative hypothermia and quality of recovery in patients undergoing radical resection for endometrial cancer. METHODS: A total of 80 patients who underwent radical resection for endometrial cancer were enrolled and randomly divided into the control group (Group C) and experimental group (Group A) (n = 40). Routine nursing measures were used in Group C. Patients in Group A were continuously kept warm with an air-heated blanket (38°C) from the induction of anesthesia until the end of surgery. The core body temperature, intraoperative blood loss, extubation time, eye-opening time and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay were recorded. The incidence of hypothermia, postoperative agitation, shivering, postoperative nausea and vomiting and delayed awakening was observed. RESULTS: The incidence of hypothermia was significantly lower in group A (2.5% vs 45%, P = .001), and the body temperature 30 minutes after the induction of anesthesia and 1 hour after the beginning of the operation were significantly higher than that in the group C (P < .05). Intraoperative blood loss was reduced in group A that in the group C (135.8 ± 38.8 vs 155.8 ± 48.7 mL, P < .046). The extubation time, eye-opening time, and PACU stay were shorter in group A that in the group C (all P < .05). The incidence of postoperative shivering was lower than that in Group C (2.5% vs 20%, P < .024). CONCLUSION: The use of air-heating blanket could reduce the incidence of intraoperative hypothermia and postoperative shivering, shorten the extubation time and eye-opening time, and reduce intraoperative blood loss in patients undergoing radical resection for endometrial cancer.