Observational Examination of Thermoregulation in Total Joint Arthroplasty

Total joint patients have poor outcomes with infection since they are having permanent hardware implanted. Infection prevention in this group is therefore critical and a major source of discussion in both the orthopedic and anesthesia literature.

Hypothermia has been shown to increase the risk of infection and blood loss. However, studies have not examined when in the operation or how fast patients temperatures drop. This study will observe how patients' temperatures change during total joint arthroplasty. By identifying when body temperature changes occur, prevention strategies may be developed and implemented.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Hypothermia
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Observation Of Temperature

Detailed Description

Peri-operative hypothermia can have deleterious effects. While there is no standard consistent definition within the literature mild hypothermia is commonly defined as a core temperature between 34 and 36 °C. Mild hypothermia has been shown to increase the occurrence of surgical site infections, cardiac morbidity, coagulopathy leading to increased blood loss and transfusion requirements, impaired drug metabolism, and prolonged emergence from anesthesia. In addition, there is evidence that maintaining intra-operative normothermia can shorten hospital length of stay. Despite the fact that intra-operative temperature monitoring and warming are considered standard of care, peri-operative hypothermia in total joint arthroplasty patients remains an issue for several reasons. A large proportion of patient undergoing joint replacement are elderly, making them susceptible to peri-operative hypothermia. In addition, regional anesthesia causes vasodilation and promotes heat flow from the core to the periphery and impairs central and autonomic thermoregulation such that patients receiving neuraxial anesthesia can be particularly susceptible to perioperative hypothermia. Finally, core temperature monitoring is typically not used during regional anesthesia and hypothermia may go undetected for long periods of time.

The primary goal of this study was to examine the incidence of hypothermia during lower extremity arthroplasty. A secondary aim was to identify patient and operative factors associated with hypothermia in order to improve future preventative strategies. Our hypothesis was that peri-operative hypothermia occurs in the majority of patients undergoing lower extremity arthroplasty. In addition, we hypothesized that certain patient and anesthetic factors (such as low body mass index and receiving general anesthesia) would increase the incidence of hypothermia.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 120

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • South Carolina
    • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425
      • Medical University of South Carolina

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults 18 years or older that are having a total joint replacement surgery.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults 18 years of age and over that are scheduled to undergo total hip or total knee joint arthroplasty.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients unable to give informed consent will be excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Joint Arthroplasty; Participants undergoing joint replacement	Other: Observation Of Temperature; Participants temperature will be recorded perioperatively.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incidence of Hypothermia	The incidence of ever being hypothermic (temperature < 36.0 °C at one or more measurements) was the primary outcome. All temperatures were assessed with an Exergen temporal thermometer (precise to 0.1 °C). Each temporal measurement was taken and recorded three times for accuracy and the mean value utilized for data analysis at each time point. Temperatures were measured upon (1) leaving holding area; (2) operating room (OR) arrival; (3) after anesthetic induction; (4) upper body forced air warmer initiation (used for all patients); (5) incision; (6-8) every 30 minutes after incision; (9) leaving the OR; and (10) arrival to PACU. OR temperature and humidity were recorded throughout.	Starting with temperature measurement prior to leaving preoperative holding for OR and ending after temperature taken on arrival in recovery room

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sylvia H Wilson, MD, Medical University of South Carolina; Study Director: Wanda Jones, Medical University of South Carolina

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Kurz A, Sessler DI, Lenhardt R. Perioperative normothermia to reduce the incidence of surgical-wound infection and shorten hospitalization. Study of Wound Infection and Temperature Group. N Engl J Med. 1996 May 9;334(19):1209-15. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199605093341901.
• Kurz A. Thermal care in the perioperative period. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2008 Mar;22(1):39-62. doi: 10.1016/j.bpa.2007.10.004.
• Seamon MJ, Wobb J, Gaughan JP, Kulp H, Kamel I, Dempsey DT. The effects of intraoperative hypothermia on surgical site infection: an analysis of 524 trauma laparotomies. Ann Surg. 2012 Apr;255(4):789-95. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e31824b7e35.
• Sun Z, Honar H, Sessler DI, Dalton JE, Yang D, Panjasawatwong K, Deroee AF, Salmasi V, Saager L, Kurz A. Intraoperative core temperature patterns, transfusion requirement, and hospital duration in patients warmed with forced air. Anesthesiology. 2015 Feb;122(2):276-85. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000000551.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 21, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 22, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): August 26, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 24, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 18, 2019
• Last Verified: January 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Hypothermia; Total Hip Joint Prosthesis; Total Knee Joint Prosthesis
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Temperature Changes; Hypothermia
• Other Study ID Numbers: Thermoregulation Total Joint; Pro00035290 (Other Identifier: MUSC)