Perioperative hypothermia remains a common occurrence in the Phase I PACU. Identification of and appropriate intervention for this complication is of prime importance in the prevention of adverse outcomes. This article provides an overview of perioperative hypothermia and offers a summary of the most common methods used to measure body temperature.
Address correspondence to Nancy Stanhope RN, CCRN, Staff Nurse, Phase I PACU, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756