Thermal Blanket to Improve Thermoregulation in Preterm Infants. Issue 7 (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hsu, Kai-Hsiang; Chiang, Ming-Chou; Lin, Shu-Wen; Lin, Jainn-Jim; Wang, Yu-Cheng; Lien, Reyin
• Is Part Of: Pediatric critical care medicine. Volume 16:Issue 7(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: Pediatric intensive care -- Periodicals; Pediatric emergencies -- Periodicals; 618.05
• DOI: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000000447
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1529-7535

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Objective:</title> <p>To determine the effectiveness of temperature-controlled thermal blanket as additional thermoprotection.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Design:</title> <p>Randomized controlled prospective study.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Setting:</title> <p>Single-center tertiary neonatal unit.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Patients:</title> <p>Inborn very low-birth-weight (< 1, 500 g) infants.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Interventions:</title> <p>Infants were prospectively assigned to thermal blanket group or control at 1:1 ratio. Additional to radiant warmers, a prewarmed blanket of Blanketrol II (Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Cincinnati, OH) was applied as mattress for thermal blanket group. The outcomes included temperature and blood pressure changes. We defined hypothermia as temperature less than 36°C and hypotension as mean arterial pressure less than index infant's gestational age in weeks.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Measurements and Main Result:</title> <p>Total 80 very low-birth-weight infants were allocated, and there was no between-group demographic dissimilarity. At 30th minute, fewer infants in thermal blanket group were hypothermic (43% vs 68%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.025). These infants had significantly lower prevalence of hypotension, which associated with less dopamine use in the first 6 hours of life (25% vs 50%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.016). There was no hyperthermia more than 37.5°C episode.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusions:</title> <p>By using thermal blanket to provide additional thermal protection for very low-birth-weight infants, the degree of hypothermia was improved, which related to fewer hypotensive cases and less dopamine usage.</p> </sec> </abstract>