Effect of giving planned information combined with actively warmed fluid and forced air warming program for shivering women receiving gynecological surgery under spinal anesthesia

Abstract

Background : Shivering is usually seen after gynecologic surgery under spinal anesthesia. It can occur either during the preoperative and postoperative periods, most commonly in the recovery room. It is a crisis of all patients. A device forforcing warmed air has been introduced. It uses active fluid warming to prevent chills during the postoperative period in the 3 stages of surgery. However, there has been no application in patients who undergo gynecological surgery.

Objective : To compare the mean score of shivering of gynecologic patients. The experimental group received planned information combined with active fluid warming and device forced air warming program; the control
group the standard care.

Methods : The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to study the effectiveness of planned information combined with active fluid warming, and forced air warming blanket on post-operative shivering patients taking gynecological surgery under spinal anesthesia. Patients aged 18 - 59 years old were enrolled from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. The participants were assigned to the control and experimental groups (19 for each group). The control group received the standard care whereas the experimental group received an active fluid warming device, forced air warming blanket, and planed patient information. Data were collected using demographic information sheet, anesthetic records, core temperature recorder, and the conditions of observed patients. All questionnaires were validated for content validities by 5 experts. The content validity index of these questionnaires were 0.80, 1.00, 1.00, and 1.00, respectively. Independent t-test was used to analyze the data.

Results : The mean score of shivering score of women receiving gynecological surgical under spinal anesthesia after receiving the program was significantly different form that of the control group (P < 0.05). The control
group was mean score of shivering 0.82 was standard deviation 0.59. The experimental group was mean score of shivering 0.38 was standard deviation 0.65. t = 2.16, df = 35.7, (P-value = 0.037).

Conclusion : The study shows the experimental group that received an active fluid warming, forced air warming blanket, and planed patient inform was significantly different form the control group receiving the standard care.