Temperature monitoring and hypothermia prevention in Norwegian surgical patients: A retrospective observational study

Perioperative hypothermia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Systematic temperature monitoring is considered important for early detection of hypothermia and timely intervention, yet incidence remains high. This study examined monitoring practices across the perioperative course. We conducted a 1-week retrospective observational study of 1261 patients undergoing surgery lasting more than 30 min. Temperature monitoring data, including hypothermia incidence and the use of monitoring devices, were extracted from electronic records. Only 11.1% of patients had complete temperature documentation across all stages, and hypothermia was frequently recorded. Preoperative temperature measurements were documented in 31.8% of patients with an average 7 h delay between ward measurement and arrival in the operating theatre, potentially limiting clinical utility of these measurements. Intraoperative monitoring occurred in 26.1% of patients and in 29.0% at the post-anesthesia care unit. We found intraoperative hypothermia in 38% of patients. The most commonly used device preoperatively was an infrared aural canal thermometer, and in the operating theatre, the most common device was urinary catheter-based invasive temperature monitoring. These findings indicate suboptimal continuity of temperature monitoring across the perioperative pathway. Our findings highlight opportunities to improve the consistency of perioperative temperature monitoring and warrant further research into factors influencing current practice.