06.18.15
Smiths Medical has launched a new Snuggle Warm poncho-style convective warming blanket to help maintain a patient’s body temperature before, during, and after surgery.
The Snuggle Warm poncho blanket is ideal for pelvic, abdominal, and leg surgery because it allows full access to those areas while simultaneously warming the patient’s back, shoulders, and chest. It has pre-opened arm and head openings to save time and effort when placing on a patient, and its two hose ports allow flexible placement of the warming unit.
The blanket accommodates both lithotomy and supine positions with arms extended or tucked. In addition, the blanket can be reversed for use before or after surgery in warming the front of the patient’s torso as well as the shoulders and upper back. Made of soft, flexible, durable material, Snuggle Warm blankets conform to patient anatomy for maximum heat retention and comfort, and also resist tears and punctures, the company noted in a news release.
Convective warming blankets are designed to help surgical patients arrive in recovery normothermic (normal body temperature). Unintended Perioperative Hypothermia (UPH) occurs when the body’s temperature falls below 36 degrees Celsius. Research has shown a correlation between UPH and a higher incidence of adverse events in surgical patients:
Smiths Medical supplies specialized medical devices and equipment for global markets, focusing on the medication delivery, vital care and safety devices market segments. It is part of Smiths Group, a provider of technologies for markets in threat and contraband detection, energy, medical devices, communications and engineered components. Smiths Group employs around 23,000 people in more than 50 countries.
References:
1 Kurz A, Sessler DI, Lenhardt R. Perioperative normothermia to reduce the incidence of surgical-wound infection and shorten hospitalization. New England Journal of Medicine 1996;334: 1209- 1215.
2 Mahoney C and Odom J. Maintaining intraoperative normothermia a meta-analysis of outcomes with costs. AANA 1999;67:155-164.
The Snuggle Warm poncho blanket is ideal for pelvic, abdominal, and leg surgery because it allows full access to those areas while simultaneously warming the patient’s back, shoulders, and chest. It has pre-opened arm and head openings to save time and effort when placing on a patient, and its two hose ports allow flexible placement of the warming unit.
The blanket accommodates both lithotomy and supine positions with arms extended or tucked. In addition, the blanket can be reversed for use before or after surgery in warming the front of the patient’s torso as well as the shoulders and upper back. Made of soft, flexible, durable material, Snuggle Warm blankets conform to patient anatomy for maximum heat retention and comfort, and also resist tears and punctures, the company noted in a news release.
Convective warming blankets are designed to help surgical patients arrive in recovery normothermic (normal body temperature). Unintended Perioperative Hypothermia (UPH) occurs when the body’s temperature falls below 36 degrees Celsius. Research has shown a correlation between UPH and a higher incidence of adverse events in surgical patients:
- Patients with even mild UPH are three times more likely to acquire surgical site infections than patients with normal temperatures (normothermic).1
- Adverse outcomes from UPH can result in prolonged hospital stays and increased health expenses of $2,500 to $7,000 per patient.2
Smiths Medical supplies specialized medical devices and equipment for global markets, focusing on the medication delivery, vital care and safety devices market segments. It is part of Smiths Group, a provider of technologies for markets in threat and contraband detection, energy, medical devices, communications and engineered components. Smiths Group employs around 23,000 people in more than 50 countries.
References:
1 Kurz A, Sessler DI, Lenhardt R. Perioperative normothermia to reduce the incidence of surgical-wound infection and shorten hospitalization. New England Journal of Medicine 1996;334: 1209- 1215.
2 Mahoney C and Odom J. Maintaining intraoperative normothermia a meta-analysis of outcomes with costs. AANA 1999;67:155-164.