Patient Warming & Cooling Solutions
It’s extremely important that a patient is warmed before, during, or after surgical procedures in an operating theatre setting, in order to mitigate heat loss.
The four processes that lead to heat loss in patients include:
· Conduction
· Convection
· Radiation
· Evaporation
There are specialist patient warming devices that can be used in operating theatres and on hospital wards as an effective treatment for heat loss. Losing heat can sometimes result in hypothermia, which in turn can lead to cardiac disturbance, delayed emergence from anaesthetic, and wound infection, highlighting the importance of patient warming devices.
There are a number of patient warming solutions on the market, including:
Medwarm Patient Warming
Safe and simple to use, this cost-effective patient warming system delivers a regulated temperature range between 30°C-40°C, which is changeable by 0.1°C increments.
Carbon fibre technology means there are no loose cables or wires to cause any issues. Other benefits include:
· Mattresses and blankets can reach the required temperature in 5 – 7 minutes
· Ultra-sonically sealed to prevent liquid exposure
· Battery-powered controllers to aid transport
· X-ray translucent
· Easy to adjust with different controllers for different settings
· Outer cover can be removed and washed as high as 90°C
· Mattresses and blankets can be wiped down using standard cleaning protocols
· Built-in alarms with 2 independent microprocessors
· Easy to control and operates silently
The bariatric mattress by Medwarm is an ideal patient warming device for use in both adult and paediatric operating theatres, recovery rooms, wards, and ambulances during patient transfer.
HICO Patient Warming and Cooling
HICO offers an optimal solution for perioperative patient warming through a range of patient warming systems.
Also contributing to faster recovery, this patient warmer machine accurately controls a patient’s temperature.
VARIOTHERM 555
· Operating range of +5°C to +40°C is ideal for intensive care units and operating theatres
VARIOTHERM 550
· Operates at +15°C to +39°C and is better suited to neonatal and paediatric departments.
Using surface contact with water pads, this patient warming system accurately controls a patient’s temperature. Due to its excellent thermal conductivity, water is used as an excellent medium for the safe and successful transfer of heat.
The HICO patient warmer machine offers single-use water pads or reusable water pads, which are translucent to allow x-rays.
There are low follow-up costs due to the reusable nature of the water pads, and these patient warming machines provide closed, low-noise systems.
