Tympanic and Temporal Thermometry in Hypothermia Assessment for Adult in Intraoperative Abdominal Surgery

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the association between sociodemographic, clinical, operative and environmental characteristics with hypothermia events, measured intraoperatively by tympanic and temporal thermometers in adult patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery with visceral exposure. Method: prospective quantitative, correlational, observational study. Data were collected by means of structured instrument containing the variables: age, Body Mass Index; American Society of Anesthesiologists class; type of anesthesia; time of surgery; tympanic and temporal temperature; temperature and relative humidity of the surgical room. Temperatures were assessed by methods of tympanic and temporal measurement in 63 patients. The data analysis sought an association between hypothermia and patient characteristics, type of anesthesia, surgical environment, according to the method of measurement and surgical time. Results: Among the 63 patients, 15 (23.8%) had hypothermia. Of the total (n=15; 100%) number of hypothermic patients, 13 (80%) had mild hypothermia. Moderate hypothermia was identified only by temporal thermometry in three (20%) patients. Severe hypothermia was not identified, and in two (13.3%) patients the hypothermia was identified only by temporal thermometry. Hypothermia had a statistically significant association only with age (p=0.0027) and sex (p=0.015), when measuring tympanic temperature. Conclusion: Only sex and age showed correlation with hypothermia during surgery measured by tympanic thermometry; no variable influenced hypothermia measured by temporal thermometry.