A Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Postoperative Hypothermia after Cardiac Ablation

Abstract

Hypothermia, a core temperature less than 36C, occurs in approximately 70% of all surgical procedures and can lead to numerous complications, including increased healthcare costs, discomfort, bleeding, and surgical site infections. ASPAN's Second Edition of Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Promotion of Perioperative Normothermia (ASPAN 2010 Normothermia Guidelines) are cost-effective, easy to implement, and have demonstrated success in reducing hypothermia. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if the integration of ASPAN 2010 Normothermia Guidelines reduced postoperative hypothermia and recovery time in patients undergoing cardiac ablation with general anesthesia.