Colorectal Surgery Comes in from the Cold

Mild perioperative hypothermia is common during major abdominal surgery. Its usual causes are anesthetic-induced impairment of thermoregulation, exposure to cold, and altered distribution of body heat. Measures to reduce heat loss include covering the skin, warming intravenous fluid and transfused blood, and increasing the ambient temperature. Few patients are actively warmed during surgery, however. 1 Hypothermia may have both beneficial and adverse effects on patients. By reducing the consumption of oxygen, it may protect tissue from ischemia, an effect that is exploited during circulatory arrest in cardiac surgery. 2 , 3 The adverse effects include cardiac arrhythmias, reduced cardiac output, and shifts in . . .