Why is normothermia maintained during surgery, and which methods achieve this?

• A. Increases metabolic demand causing more complications.
• B. Reduces infection risk, coagulopathy, and complications.
• C. Only helps with wound closure.
• D. Has no impact on infection risk.

Answer: (B)

Maintaining normothermia during surgery keeps the body's metabolic and immune systems functioning in their normal range, which helps prevent complications. When core temperature falls (hypothermia), enzyme activity slows, the coagulation cascade becomes less effective, and immune cell function is impaired. This combination increases bleeding risk, slows wound healing, and raises the likelihood of infections and other perioperative complications. Keeping the patient at normal temperature helps preserve coagulation, tissue oxygen delivery, and immune defense, reducing infection risk and other issues.

In practice, normothermia is achieved with active warming strategies such as forced-air or circulating-water warming devices, warming and humidifying incoming anesthetic gases, warming IV fluids and blood products, and maintaining an appropriately warm operating room environment. Pre-warming before anesthesia and minimizing heat loss throughout the procedure are common approaches. These methods collectively support a stable core temperature and lower complication rates, which is why the correct answer emphasizes reduced infection risk, coagulopathy, and other complications.