Heat losses in infants undergoing surgery in air-conditioned theatres.

An association is described between hypothermia occurring in anaesthetized babies and early postoperative morbidity and death. Sixty-seven children under one year old had operations in 1960, of whom twelve died; seven of these cases (which are described) were associated with hypothermia. While other factors were undoubtedly involved it seems that hypothermia was the principal factor responsible for the deaths. Hypothermia is most likely to occur during long operations, in air-conditioned theatres and when respiration is controlled. Ways of preventing inadvertent hypothermia are discussed and the importance of temperature monitoring and of rigid maintenance of normal temperatures is emphasized.