A study published online ahead of print in Anesthesia
& Analgesia concludes that forced-air
patient warming produces waste heat that disrupts operating room ventilation
airflows over the surgical site, transporting non-sterile air to the area and
hindering the ventilation system’s ability to clear potential airborne
contaminants.
“There are some in our industry that would like you to
believe that hot air doesn’t rise,” says Dr. Scott Augustine, “this study
proves, once again, that that argument is insulting to science and common
sense.”
Belani, et al, focused on contamination-sensitive surgery at
the University of Minnesota, using a mannequin draped for total knee
replacement. Introducing neutral
buoyancy bubbles near the mannequin’s head, researchers found a significant
increase in bubble-count over the surgical site when forced air warming was
used, as opposed to conductive fabric or the control. The study states:
