Randomized clinical study comparing active heating methods for prevention of intraoperative hypothermia in gastroenterology

OBJECTIVE: to compare the efficacy of three active heating methods in the prevention of intraoperative hypothermia in open gastroenterological surgeries. METHOD: randomized clinical trial with a sample of 75 patients, whose initial body temperature measured by a tympanic thermometer. Esophageal temperature <36ºC was considered hypothermic. Patients were divided into three groups using: thermal mattress, underbody forced-air warming blanket and heated infusion system. The tympanic and esophageal temperatures were measured at different times of the intraoperative period, but the temperature considered gold standard was the esophageal. To evaluate the homogeneity of the groups, we used chi-square test (categorical variables). In the comparison of temperature measurements over time, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the contrast profile test were used for the difference in temperature between the times. The non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the three groups. The level of significance was 5%. RESULTS: regarding the studied variables, the groups were not homogeneous as to the categorical variable sex. All patients presented hypothermia during the intraoperative period (p> 0.05). CONCLUSION: there was no significant difference between the heating methods in the prevention of intraoperative hypothermia. REBEC - Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (RBR- no. 52shjp).