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Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia Prevention Strategies for Urology
           Surgical Patients Who Received a Blood Transfusion: A Retrospective Analysis


           T. Page 1


           Adelaide Nursing School, The University of Adelaide, Australia
           1

           Background: A snap shot audit conducted in September 2020 revealed that patients undergoing
           urology surgery accounted for the majority of red cell transfusions during the six-month period
           between August 2019-January 2020. The Blood Management Committee noted this cohort of patients
           are vulnerable to developing hypothermia during surgery. Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia
           is a significant problem globally and is associated with a number of known risk factors and many
           detrimental side effects including an increased risk of bleeding.


           Objective: The aim of the research was to establish whether hypothermia was present in patients who
           required a blood transfusion and underwent a urology procedure; in line with staff knowledge and
           understanding.


                                                                                                                      Oral Presentation Abstracts
           Methods: A survey to establish staff understanding of thermoregulation in caring for patients during
           their perioperative journey and any associated guidelines and barriers to providing active warming
           strategies was conducted as well as a retrospective review of 46 case notes identified through the
           Monthly Blood Products usage report between January 2021 and July 2022.


           Results: Staff (70%) were unaware of guidelines informing thermoregulation practices, however, 90%
           understood the importance of normothermia in the perioperative environment. The Medical record
           review demonstrated temperature monitoring and intervention implementation varied across the
           perioperative journey with 20% of patients hypothermic on admission and 89% of the cohort having
           two or more risk factors.


           Conclusion: There was no formal process for the management of Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia
           throughout the patient journey at the Hospital. A variety of intrinsic factors (age, patient comorbidities ASA
           score) and external factors (patient waiting times, anaesthetic modality, type of procedure, environmental
           influences), impact each patients risk of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia.


           Efforts to maintain intraoperative body core temperature higher than 36°C including updating
           procedures, educating staff and posters highlighting the importance of staying warm in patient areas
           aim to improve the quality and safety of anaesthesia care for patients.


           Keywords: bleeding, Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia, temperature, thermoregulation, urology surgery


           _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
           Correspondence: Tamara Page, Adelaide Nursing School, The University of Adelaide, Australia
           E-mail: tamara.page@adelaide.edu.au



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