British Journal of Anaesthesia, Vol 77, Issue 6 786-788, Copyright © 1996 by The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia
J. P. Estebe, A. Le Naoures, Y. Malledant and C. Ecoffey
Twenty-six patients requiring orthopaedic surgery were anaesthetized and
oesophageal and rectal temperature were monitored continuously. Twenty
patients requiring a pneumatic tourniquet were allocated prospectively to
one of two groups: passive group (Pg) with reflective insulation on all
available skin surface (n = 10) and forced group (Fg), with active warming
by a forced air system (n = 10). Six patients without a tourniquet were
used as a reference group (Rg). The pneumatic tourniquet time was similar
in the tourniquet groups. During tourniquet inflation, oesophageal
temperature increased with time. The difference was significant compared
with the reference group at approximately 20 min. At about 30 min,
oesophageal temperature in group Fg was significantly higher than that in
group Pg. After tourniquet deflation, temperature decreased transiently.
Changes in rectal temperature were similar but delayed significantly. A
mechanism to explain the increase in core temperature during pneumatic
tourniquet use remains unclear. A redistribution mechanism by cooling of
the blood in a cold and vasodilated limb could explain the decrease of
temperature after tourniquet deflation.
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
Use of a pneumatic tourniquet induces changes in central temperature
Departement d'Anesthesie Reanimation Chirurgical, Batiment Urgence et Reanimation, Centre Hospitalier Regional et Universitaire de Rennes, Rue Henri Le Guillou, 35033 Rennes Cedex, France
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