Insights
Stay warm, bleed less: the hypothermia lesson
Even a degree of cooling during surgery can raise blood loss.
Anesthesia side effects · 2 min read
Anesthesia can lower body temperature by blunting the body’s thermostat. A meta-analysis of randomized trials found that even mild hypothermia (less than 1 °C) increased blood loss by about 16% and the relative risk of transfusion by about 22%.
The takeaway for the operating room is simple and a bit sweet: warm blankets, warm fluids, warm room.
For you: expect a warmed environment and an anesthesiologist who watches temperature as carefully as heart rate. In awake surgery you can also tell us, in plain words, that you are cold.
Explore your options at a consultation Take the Comfort Compass
References
- Rajagopalan S, Mascha E, Na J, Sessler DI. The effects of mild perioperative hypothermia on blood loss and transfusion requirement. Anesthesiology. 2008;71-77. PMID 18156884