The body temperature management is important for the anesthetized patients. Recently the operations for elderly patients are performed more often, and it is neccessary to prevent from unintentional hypothermia because adequate rewarming is often difficult particulaly under such conditions as prone, lateral, and lithotomy position with usual rewarming methods.We attempted to use a reflective blanket, Thermadrape^[○!R] and the results were satisfactory.Thermadrape^[○!R] is similar to a disposable paper drape, dut it is made of aluminum, plastic, and fine cloth, in order to minimize heat loss by radiation, convection, evapolation, and conduction.This time we studied the effectiveness of Thermadrape^[○!R] to lessen heat loss during spinal surgery for elders in the prone position. It is concluded that the core and peripheral deep temperature decreases occured in all patients, but by using Thermadrape^[○!R] these decreases were significantly lessened, and that this easy and simple technique was clinically usefull from the point of intraqoperative heat conservation.
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