Thermometric study of compensatory vasoconstriction under epidural anesthesia
Tamaru, M.; Kugiyama, A.; Kano, T.; Baba, T.
Masui. Japanese Journal of Anesthesiology 36(1): 82-88
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-4892 PMID: 3560429 Document Number: 304550
Changes in deep body temperature (DBT) during epidural anesthesia were studied in 35 patients undergoing surgery with a non-invasive deep body thermometry system (TERUMO Co.). The thermometric device had a couple of heated skin probes with a diameter of 45 mm, and according to the manufacturer, measures the DBT 10 mm under each probe. One probe was placed on the denervated area and the other was on an unanesthetized area. During thermometry, each probe was covered with a sheet and room temperature was maintained at 24 .apprx. 26.degree. C. After a lumbar epidural anesthesia, the DBT decreased 0.8 .+-. 0.4.degree. C on the palm and increased 3.7 .+-. 1.4.degree. C on the sole, while, under a cervical epidural anesthesia, the DBT on the palm and sole showed reversed changes. DBT changes on the trunk were much less compared with those in the extremities. Discrepancy between the DBT's on the denervated and unanesthetized areas widened as intraoperative bleeding increased. This temperature discrepancy was diminished with nitrous oxide inhalation added to the epidural anesthesia. It was fully corrected when anesthesia was switched from epidural to inhalation anesthesia with a resulting rise of the low DBT and decline of the high DBT.