COMPARISON OF THE IMPACTS OF ADMINISTERING IV FLUIDS AT WARM TEMPERATURES VERSUS NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON CORE BODY TEMPERATURE IN SURGICAL PATIENTS

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the impacts of administering intravenous fluids at warm temperatures versus normal temperatures on the core body temperature of individuals undergoing surgical procedures.

Materials and Methods:  This RCT study was conducted at Shah Bhittai Hospital Hyderabad, Pakistan The study duration was 6 month from August, 2023 to January 2024. 300 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study equally divided into two groups using sealed, opaque envelopes containing computer-generated numbers. Throughout the study period, a range of physiological parameters, such as body temperature, oxygen saturation, heart rate, shivering, blood pressure, and fluid intake, were meticulously monitored and documented at two specific time points: upon admission to the post-anesthesia recovery (PAR) area and again one and a half hours later. The severity of shivering observed in participants was evaluated and categorized according to the classification system developed by Crossley and Mahajan. This thorough monitoring strategy enabled a comprehensive assessment of the physiological responses to abdominal surgery, yielding valuable insights for analysis and interpretation of the study outcomes. For statistical analysis we used SPSS Version 25.

Results: In this study, a total of 300 patients, evenly distributed between two groups with mean ages of 46.04±10.29 and 47.50±8.22 years were enrolled. In the study, participants in Group A exhibited core body temperature fluctuations from 96.33±1.51 upon entering the operating room (OR) to 96.04±1.78 in the post-anesthesia recovery area (PAR), stabilizing at 96.22±1.81 after 30 minutes. Control group members saw variations from 96.07±1.58 in the OR to 95.6±1.61 in the PAR, stabilizing at 95.8000±1.69 after 30 minutes. While initial core temperatures showed no statistically significant differences between groups, differences became significant after 30 minutes in the PAR. Group B patients had initial pulse rates of 98.41±12.53 in the OR, decreasing to 90.22±11.90 in the intensive care unit, and further to 84.14±8.12 after 30 minutes. In contrast, Group A patients started with pulse rates of 96.46±9.98 in the OR, decreasing to 83.11±10.36 in the PAR, and further to 81.31±9.76 after 30 minutes. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences. Additionally, factors like oxygen pressure, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate showed significant differences between groups across all observation periods.

Conclusion: It was concluded that following the administration of warm fluids intravenously, a reduction in shivering was observed in the intervention group.