Maintaining perioperative normothermia: Forced air warming devices  require risk assessments before use

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7404.1457-b

BMJ 2003;326:1457 (28 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7404.1457-b

Letter

Maintaining perioperative normothermia

Forced air warming devices require risk assessments before use

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—A range of medical devices can be used to maintain a normal temperature during operations.¹ As mentioned by Harperet al, forced air warming devices are popular and widely used.²However, their features vary between manufacturers, and fewevaluations comparing performance have been published. Thisis of concern since these devices have the potential for bothharm and good, highlighted in two reports that studied therisk of cross infection.^{3
4}

Aviden et al grew potentially pathogenic organisms from theairstream of two warming systems.³ However, the risk of infectionwas low, provided microbial filters were changed as specifiedby the relevant manufacturer and detachable hoses were decontaminatedregularly. In a study of an ultra-clean ventilation system, Tumia and Ashcroft noted that warm air convection heaters produceda small increase in the number of colony forming units in ultra-cleanair but levels were unlikely to be clinically significant.⁴The . . . [Full text of this article]

Richard P D Cooke, infection control doctor

Richard.Cooke@esht.nhs.uk

Mandy Catchpole, infection control nurse

Eastbourne District General Hospital, Eastbourne BN21 2UD

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