Comparison of Core Temperature Changes Between Pediatric Patients Lying on Regular Operating Room Linen Drapes and Water-Repellent Sheepskin Rug in Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Objectives The aims of this study were to compare the core temperature changes between pediatric patients lying on regular operating room linen drapes and a water-repellent sheepskin rug during living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and to evaluate the effectiveness of using a water-repellent sheepskin rug in preventing profound hypothermia due to fluid overflow from the abdominal cavity during LDLT. Patients and Methods The operative records of pediatric patients who underwent LDLT from June 1994-September 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. The nasopharyngeal temperature (NT) changes during the LDLT procedure between patients lying on regular operating room drapes (GI) and water-repellent sheepskin rug (GII) were compared and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. A P value Results Thirty-two patients were included in GI and 56 in GII. Profound hypothermia was not observed in any recipients lying on a water-repellent sheepskin rug (GII). The NT after induction and the following 4 hours into the LT procedure were significantly higher in GII than GI. Conclusion Pediatric patients lying on water-repellent sheepskin preserved their core temperature better in comparison to patients lying on linen drapes. The use of a water-repellent sheepskin rug seems to be effective in preventing profound hypothermia related to physical contact with abdominal fluid overflow during the LDLT.