Hypothermia—including the one which occurs during surgical procedures—can have serious, negative consequences for a patient’s health. Today, medical facilities can use equipment that helps effectively maintain normothermia. Blanket warmers are among these solutions. However, their function goes beyond simply warming textiles. Learn more about the role these devices play in healthcare settings.
Hospital blanket warmer – efficient heating of textiles
Effective hypothermia prevention requires the use of active warming methods. These methods are intended to deliver external heat to the patient. Active warming raises the patient’s body temperature, which does not occur with passive methods that merely reduce heat loss through insulation.
One of the active warming techniques involves covering the patient with pre-warmed blankets. This helps offset the loss of body heat that can occur, for example, during a surgical procedure.
How do hospital blanket warmers work?
Modern blanket warmers operate using convection technology, which ensures efficient circulation of warm air within the chamber. This allows blankets to be heated quickly and evenly. Blanket warmers offer a wide temperature range—from 25°C to 70°C—enabling precise adjustment based on the specific needs of the patient or medical procedure. A rapid heating function allows temporary power increase, shortening warm-up time in urgent situations.
To ensure microbiological safety of textiles, many warmers are equipped with an integrated UV disinfection system. It effectively eliminates pathogens—bacteria, fungi, viruses, including coronavirus strains—that may be present on the surface of warmed materials.
Warming blankets in hospitals – why is it so important?
Unintentional intraoperative hypothermia, defined as a drop in core body temperature below 36°C, affects more than half of patients undergoing general anesthesia. A decrease in body temperature can trigger a cascade of adverse physiological responses.
The consequences of perioperative hypothermia, in addition to patient discomfort, include:
· increased risk of cardiac complications,
· coagulation disorders,
· weakened immune response,
· prolonged effects of anesthetic drugs[1].
That is why hypothermia prevention, including the use of warmed textiles, should be considered a standard of perioperative care in medical facilities. Covering the patient with warm blankets before, during, and after the procedure helps maintain the body’s thermal homeostasis and minimizes the risk of postoperative complications.
What else can a blanket warmer be used for in a hospital?
Blanket warming cabinets are also available in drawer-style versions. These versatile devices can also be used to warm IV fluids administered to patients, in addition to heating blankets.
Warming IV fluids
Administering large volumes of IV fluids at room temperature during surgery can lead to a drop in the patient’s core body temperature. The body must then expend energy to warm the infused fluids to body temperature. This thermoregulatory process places additional strain on patients already weakened by surgery and anesthesia.
Therefore, it is recommended that fluids administered during surgical procedures be warmed to a temperature between 37°C and 41°C. This can raise the patient’s body temperature by approximately 0.5°C. To further enhance normothermia maintenance, surface warming[2] using blankets preheated in a blanket warmer is also applied.
A suitable blanket warmer with drawers can also be used to heat contrast agents, irrigation fluids, and medical accessories. This helps ensure patient comfort during examinations and procedures, as well as the safe and effective performance of medical interventions.
Blanket warmers are multifunctional medical devices. In addition to warming textiles, they can be used to heat various fluids utilized in the operating room and during diagnostic procedures. Their use plays a key role in preventing hypothermia, which poses a serious risk to patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia.