Purpose
Rates of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia among women undergoing spinal anesthesia
for cesarean delivery are reported to be high. Intrathecal morphine has been noted
to have a potentially potent effect on thermoregulation. This retrospective case-control
study sought to investigate the incidence of perioperative hypothermia in women undergoing
cesarean delivery with and without intrathecal morphine and to describe any clinical
factors associated with the condition, the identification of which would provide direction
for nursing priorities in the care of the condition.
Design
A retrospective case-controlled study design was used.
Methods
The charts of 358 women who had undergone emergency or elective cesarean delivery
under spinal anesthesia were reviewed: 179 having received intrathecal morphine and
179 having received spinal anesthesia without intrathecal morphine (control group).
SPSS (IBM, Armonk, New York), version 22, was used for data analysis, including logistic
regression to predict the outcome of hypothermia across the study population.
Findings
There was no significant difference (P = .62; 95% confidence interval, −0.09 to 0.15) in mean postoperative temperature
for the morphine group (mean postanesthesia care unit arrival temperature, 35.91°C;
standard deviation, 0.59) and the no morphine group (mean postanesthesia care unit
arrival temperature, 35.88°C; standard deviation, 0.52). However, within groups, the
temperature decline preoperatively to postoperatively was statistically (and clinically)
significant.
Conclusions
The results refute the suggestion that intrathecal morphine contributes to greater
core temperature decline in this population; however, it does confirm that perioperative
hypothermia is a prevalent concern for women undergoing cesarean delivery and that
pre-emptive measures should be routinely considered by health care providers.
Keywords
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Biography
Judy Munday, BA (Hons), DipEd (Nurs), RN, Registered Nurse, Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit, Mater Health Services, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Biography
Sonya Osborne, PhD, RN, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Biography
Patsy Yates, PhD, DipAppSci, MSocSci, RN, FACN, FAAN, Professor/Head of School, School of Nursing Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 13, 2017
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: None to report.
Funding: No external funding.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 by American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
