The Benefits of Using Warmers in Surgical and Hospital Settings

Feeling cold is one of the most common concerns patients have post-operation. In fact, about 70% of surgical patients experience a drop in body temperature during procedures. Without preventative measures, patients often develop inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH), a condition defined by a core body temperature below 96.8°F. IPH significantly increases the risk of surgical complications, including poor wound healing, infections and excessive blood loss, which can have lasting effects. 

To mitigate these risks, healthcare teams prioritize maintaining normothermia—a normal body temperature of 97.7°F to 99.9°F. Patient warming with pre-warmed blankets and IV or irrigation fluids play a critical role in this effort. Pedigo’s blanket and fluid warming devices are indispensable tools for achieving this while improving patient safety, enhancing overall comfort and recovery outcomes.

Enhancing Patient Comfort and Safety

Patient comfort begins with warmth. Hospital settings are often places of stress and anxiety for patients. A warmed blanket or IV is a simple yet significant solution. These measures create a sense of trust between a patient and provider, offering a moment of relaxation before a procedure. However, patient warming goes beyond comfort – it is a safety measure.

Without proper warming solutions, patients with IPH are at an increased the risk for surgical site infections (SSIs), delayed wound healing, cardiovascular strain and extended hospital stays. To prevent these outcomes, the Association of peri-Operative Registered Nurses (AORN) emphasizes the importance of using blanket and fluid warming devices to ensure patients maintain normothermia. Pre-warming blankets can provide a sense of comfort while warmed fluids mitigate the cooling effects of intravenous and irrigation fluids. 

Supporting Better Outcomes

Reducing the Risk of Infections and Complications

Patients often feel cold during their hospital stay, leading to discomfort and shivering. Shivering not only spikes the heartrate and increases anxiety but if prolonged, can contribute to hypertension and cardiovascular strain. More critically, IPH impairs platelet function and blood clotting, leading to excessive blood loss at surgical sites. 

Warmed fluids and blankets help stabilize body temperature, mitigating these risks. By promoting normothermia, they support the body’s immune response, reducing susceptibility to SSIs. For instance, a study done by Orthopedic Surgeons found that patients who developed hypothermia during hip repair surgery were 3.3 times more likely to experience deep SSIs compared to patients who maintained normothermia.

Faster Recovery Times

Normothermia promotes improved oxygen delivery to tissues which is vital for the recovery process. Conversely, IPH can impair drug metabolism, leading to lasting anesthetic effects and delayed recovery. This often results in slowed recovery times and longer hospital stays. 

By staying warm, postoperative outcomes are improved across various clinical scenarios. For example, in colorectal surgeries, patients who maintained normothermia had experienced faster mobilization and shorter lengths of stay due to enhanced tissue oxygenation as compared to those with hypothermia. 

Compliance with Medical Guidelines

The AORN has recognized pre-warming as a practical and effective way to ensure patients maintain normothermia, and subsequently, identified optimal warming temperatures for blankets, irrigation and intravenous (IV) fluids for safe administration. 

Meeting Regulatory Standards with Warmers

Pedigo’s blanket and fluid warmers make it easy to adhere to AORN’s temperature recommendations for safe and effective warming practices. Designed with our patented WarmSafe® heating technology, our warmers are pre-programmed to comply with the AORN’s temperature guidelines:

• Pedigo Blanket warmers are adjustable to safe temperature ranges of 90°–160°F (32°–71°C).

• Pedigo Fluid warmers are market leaders in temperature accuracy with +0/-2°F for injection fluids and +0/-3°F for irrigation fluids. All fluid warmers are FDA 510K cleared to safely warm irrigation and inject fluids to their recommended temperatures. The temperature settings are adjustable based on the type of fluid being warmed: 

• • Irrigation fluid mode: 90°–150°F (32°–66°C).
  • Injection (IV) fluid mode: 90°–104°F (32°–40°C).

These pre-programed settings ensure blankets and fluids are safely and precisely warmed with no hot spots. By integrating advanced technology, Pedigo warmers support compliance and help you maintain the highest standards of care.

Avoid Penalty

Non-compliance with established temperature guidelines can lead to adverse patient outcomes, reputational damage, and even financial penalties. Regulatory bodies and accreditation organizations assess healthcare facilities on their adherence to standards, and deviations can impact evaluations. For example, poor compliance with temperature management protocols or lack of warming practices may impair the patient experience and lower HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores, a key metric used to evaluate patient satisfaction and care quality.

Improving Operational Efficiency

Reducing Delays

Temperature-related complications often lead to surgical delays and extended recovery times. Health systems that participate in patient warming report shorter turnover time between surgeries, allowing staff to focus on high-quality care rather than managing the unfavorable outcomes associated with IPH. 

Enhanced Efficiency with the ivNow 

To improve operational efficiencies, speed up warming time and simplify compliance for healthcare professionals, we designed the ivNow. Our most innovative fluid warmer saves you time and money while offering an easy solution to compliance. 

The ivNow simplifies compliance & improves efficiency:

• Warms individual IV bags to the appropriate temperature in 30 minutes or less.
• Records the shelf life of every bag 
• and alerts user when expired.
• Small footprint allows you to warm fluids at the point of use.
• Reduces disposable costs while warming up to 75 liters every 12 hours. 

The ivNow displays the actual temperature of each bag and how long it’s been warming. By tracking the shelf-life, the ivNow eliminates the need for manually labeling each IV bag with the date and time, effectively saving the staff time while reducing the risk of non-compliance.

The convenient medical warmer requires no disposables and can warm IV fluids to their set-point temperature in 20-40 minutes depending on the size of the IV bag.  For example, the ivNow-3 can warm 78 liters in a 12-hour period. 

Maximizing Versatility and Value in Healthcare 

Pedigo warmers have a wide range of applications across healthcare settings to improve patient comfort and maintain normothermia while delivering cost-effective, long-term benefits.

Versatile Warming Solutions for Every Department

Pedigo warmers deliver versatile solutions that enhance patient care while supporting operational efficiency across various healthcare settings. 

Combination Warmers: Cabinets have temperature settings for all mediums, blankets, IV or irrigation fluids. 

• Dual-Cavity Warmers: Warm blankets and fluids to their recommended temperatures in one footprint with the P-2147 or P-2150. 
• Single-Cavity Warmers: Warm either blankets, IV or irrigation fluids with the P-2420 and P-2430.

Fluid Warmers: FDA 510K Cleared to safely warm irrigation or IV fluids with the space-saving counter-top sized hospital warmers, the P-2112 or P-2122. 

• ivNow Fluid Warmers: Specifically designed for point-of-care applications, the ivNow is extremely popular among anesthesiologists and in emergency or surgical departments, where both speed and precision are critical.

Blanket Warmers: Available in a range of sizes from compact, counter-top models, perfect for point-of-care warming in operating rooms or labor and delivery suites to large floor models, ideal for multi department access.

Financial and Environmental Benefits

Medical warmers improve patient outcomes while delivering financial and environmental benefits.

• Increase Reimbursements: Improving patient comfort and maintaining normothermia improves patient satisfaction tied to hospital reimbursements and reduces time spent in the PACU. 
• Fit your Facility: With a wide range of sizes and costs, you can choose the best match for your facility and staff.
• Waste Reduction & Save Energy: Devices like the ivNow activate only when in use, reducing power consumption as well as eliminates the need for disposable components required by in-line warmers, cutting waste and disposal costs.
• Labor Savings: Better health outcomes simplify workflow, allowing staff to focus on patient care.

Pedigo Warmers: Your Partner in Safe, Comfortable Care  

Maintaining normothermia is critical for patient safety, comfort, and recovery. Pedigo’s innovative warming solutions help facilities meet medical guidelines, improve outcomes, and streamline operations.

With versatile designs and features like our patented WarmSafe® heating technology, Pedigo warmers ensure safe, efficient, and reliable temperature management. Invest in modern warming solutions to enhance patient care and operational excellence.

Discover the difference Pedigo warmers can make—contact us today.