Select the patient that is the most vulnerable and at high risk for hypothermia in the perianesthesia phase based on diagnosis or surgical procedure.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In many surgical services departments,postoperative cardiac surgery patients are transferred directly to the cardiac intensive care unit rather than the PACU;however,their thermic needs must be met during this perianesthesia phase.Cardiac patients have considerable skin exposed during surgery and are often cooled to therapeutic hypothermic levels in order to decrease metabolic rate and oxygen demands during cardiopulmonary bypass.Especially vulnerable to the effects of hypothermia are the elderly and children 2 years old or younger.There are four major risk factors for hypothermia;this includes three patient populations-neonates less than 1 month of age,burn patients,and patients whose surgery included general anesthesia with neuraxial anesthesia-along with low ambient temperature of the OR.Other risk factors include female gender,extreme age,length and type of surgical procedure,cachexia,significant fluid shift,and use of cold irrigants.

Select the Patient That Is the Most Vulnerable and at High