Challenges to maintaining normothermia
When it comes to patient care in the perioperative environment, few considerations come before maintaining normothermia. Normothermia is the body’s normal range of temperatures, between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius. Our bodies lose heat through respiration, contact with cool surfaces, and exposure to the environment—all things that occur during surgery. In fact, the average adult can lose between 0.5 to 1.5 degrees Celsius under anesthesia, putting surgical patients at considerable risk for the adverse effects of hypothermia, including:
- Ventricular fibrillation
- Pulmonary edema
- Decreased renal blood flow
- Ventricular tachycardia
- Hypertension
- Increased risk of infection
All of which can lead to complicated recoveries, longer hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs, further underscoring the importance of maintaining normothermia.
Advanced convective warming technology: why we need it
Since the mid-1990s, observers have reported hypothermia in as many as 60 percent of surgical patients, and for just as long, clinicians have sought solutions. Of the devised remedies, many have fallen short of achieving and maintaining normothermia. Each comes with their own set of problems: blankets are often cumbersome, and need to be sanitized often, while warm IV fluids require too much work and are less effective. With both methods, while the patient may temporarily achieve normothermia, no mechanism is in place to sustain it. This is why advanced convective warming technology is so effective. It not only achieves normothermia, but it maintains it more efficiently than any other proposed method.
Introducing KoZee
The medical field is one characterized by constant innovation and SourceMark’s KoZee Patient Warming System marks a new wave in advanced convective warming technology. Engineered to prioritize ease of use, safety, and patient comfort, SourceMark’s KoZee System enables clinicians to efficiently maintain normothermia—which can mean the difference between a positive patient outcome and a difficult, prolonged recovery.
Unlike low-tech solutions such as regular blankets, or time-consuming ones like warming IV fluids, the KoZee warming system features an intuitive user interface with one-touch temperature and airflow control. The display screen provides clear indications for settings, warnings, and other relevant information. In this way, the user interface addresses several clinician pain points in one, making it easy to:
- Reduce time spent maintaining normothermia
- Measure and track a patient’s body temperature
- Respond with the touch of a button in case of a dip in body temperature
To maximize patient safety, KoZee includes dual layer HEPA filtration (0.2µm / 99.999% efficiency) and uses ceramic heating, which generates less secondary heat and reduces fire risk. The KoZee system is also completely sterile to fight cross-contamination, something patients are particularly vulnerable to during surgery.
The KoZee system comes with interoperative, postoperative, underbody, and pediatric warming blankets to ensure every patient receives the correct size and fit. The KoZee system gets its name, in part, from the comfort and security it provides, encouraging a relaxed state of mind and helping to mitigate patient anxiety before surgery.
The Future of Managing Perioperative Normothermia
As clinicians focus on improving rates of normothermia in the perioperative environment, emerging trends target concerns like noise levels, especially when it comes to pediatric patients or patients with anxiety. KoZee produces low operating noise, thanks to its proprietary network of digital sensors, and requires around 41 percent less airflow compared to other devices.
The KoZee system leads the way in advanced convective warming technology, improving patient outcomes wherever possible. KoZee remains at the frontline of normothermia innovation, allowing clinicians to efficiently maintain a patient’s body temperature during surgery as well as their level of comfort.
The importance of normothermia in perioperative environments cannot be overstated. Though clinicians face challenges in maintaining normothermia during surgery, including surgical environmental factors that have a one-way effect on body temperature, the KoZee system provides a comprehensive solution. Its streamlined display screen allows for rapid response time in case of emergency, while its use of ceramic heating elements and dual filtration system act as patient safeguards against infection. Most importantly, the KoZee system is exactly that—cozy—helping patients feel comfortable, relaxed, and at ease before surgery and helping provide the best outcome possible.
Although we covered a lot here, there is still so much more to explore about the KoZee system and its impact on patient outcomes. Learn more about the power of KoZee here.
We’re ready to help deliver positive patient experiences and better clinical outcomes. Get in touch with us for more information about the KoZee Patient Warming System or our other innovative solutions.