Coagulation Defects Resulting From Ambient Temperature-Induced Hypothermia

Impact of Graded Hypothermia on Coagulation and Fibrinolysis

“…Local cooling of 30 C has been found to increase bleeding time [10]. In animal studies, moderate hypothermia (32 -34 C) has been related with reversible platelet dysfunction, prolonged bleeding, prothrombin, and partial prothrombin times, and also reduced thromboxane B 2 due to impaired platelet ability to produce it [11,12].…”

Independent Contributions of Hypothermia and Acidosis to Coagulopathy in Swine

“…2,3 The association of hypothermic coagulopathy with high mortality has been well described. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] As many as 66% of trauma patients arrive in emergency departments manifesting hypothermia (temperature Ͻ 36°C). 5 Approximately 80% of nonsurviving patients have had a body temperature of less than 34°C.…”

“…Prolonged PT has been found in hypothermic patients and experimental animals and in plasma samples cooled in vitro. [12][13][14][15][16][17] Changes in platelet function with cold are less consistent, but shear-induced platelet activation is markedly depressed at temperatures below 34°C. 18 However, no changes in fibrinolysis have been reported under hypothermic conditions.…”

Does the covering of children during induction of anesthesia have an effect on body temperature at the end of surgery?

“…We recognize that the ambient environment may have a significant impact on patient core temperature [19]. Pediatric patients require a higher ambient temperature to maintain normothermia [10]. The core temperature of neonates and infants undergoing minor surgery in an OR whose temperature was less than 23°C was maintained [20].…”

“…The use of heating blankets may increase core body temperature and result in a constant core temperature intraoperatively [4]. Mild postoperative hypothermia causes increased duration of postanesthetic recovery time [5], a greater degree of peripheral vasoconstriction [6], a higher norepinephrine concentration [6], higher arterial blood pressure (BP) [6], increased surgical wound infection [7], impaired platelet [8] and clotting cascade function [9,10], and increased hospital stay [6].…”