Which measure is essential for monitoring prevention of hypothermia in the OR?

• A. Monitor core temperature
• B. Increase ambient humidity
• C. Administer cool IV fluids
• D. Use only surface temperature probes

Answer: (A)

Monitoring core temperature is essential for preventing hypothermia in the operating room. Under anesthesia, the body's thermoregulatory responses are blunted, and the chilly OR environment accelerates heat loss, so knowing the internal temperature helps you time warming measures effectively. Core temperature reflects the true thermal status and guides interventions like forced-air warming and warmed IV fluids, keeping the patient warmer and reducing complications. Skin or surface temperatures can be unreliable because they shift with skin perfusion and environmental conditions, so they may not reveal a developing hypothermia promptly. Increasing ambient humidity isn’t a monitoring strategy, and administering cool IV fluids would worsen temperature loss. Relying solely on surface probes misses early hypothermia, making core temperature monitoring the best approach.