PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Aaron Conway
AU  - Suzanna Ersotelos
AU  - Joanna Sutherland
AU  - Jed Duff
TI  - Forced air warming during sedation in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory: a randomised controlled trial
AID  - 10.1136/heartjnl-2017-312191
DP  - 2017 Oct 07
TA  - Heart
PG  - heartjnl-2017-312191
4099  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2017/10/07/heartjnl-2017-312191.short
4100  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2017/10/07/heartjnl-2017-312191.full
AB  - Objective Forced air warming (FAW) during general anaesthesia is a safe and effective intervention used to reduce hypothermia. The objective of this study was to determine if FAW reduces hypothermia when used for procedures performed with sedation in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory.Methods A parallel-group randomised controlled trial was conducted. Adults receiving sedation in a cardiac catheterisation laboratory at two sites were randomised to receive FAW or usual care, which involved passive warming with heated cotton blankets. Hypothermia, defined as a temperature less than 36°C measured with a sublingual digital thermometer after procedures, was the primary outcome. Other outcomes were postprocedure temperature, shivering, thermal comfort and major complications.Results A total of 140 participants were randomised. Fewer participants who received FAW were hypothermic (39/70, 56% vs 48/69, 70%, difference 14%; adjusted RR 0.75, 95% CI=0.60 to 0.94), and body temperature was 0.3°C higher (95% CI=0.1 to 0.5, p=0.004). FAW increased thermal comfort (63/70, 90% vs51/69, 74% difference 16%, RR 1.21, 95% CI=1.04 to 1.42). The incidence of shivering was similar (3/69, 4% vs 0/71 0%, difference 4%, 95% CI=−1.1 to 9.8). One patient in the control group required reintervention for bleeding. No other major complications occurred.Conclusion FAW reduced hypothermia and improved thermal comfort. The difference in temperature between groups was modest and less than that observed in previous studies where use of FAW decreased risk of surgical complications. Therefore, it should not be considered clinically significant.Trial registration number ACTRN12616000013460.