Pediatric anesthesia & critical care
Preventing hypothermia in pediatric neurosurgery in Africa—A randomized controlled non‐inferiority trial of insulation versus active warming
Authors' conclusion
Although perioperative core temperatures were not significantly different, we could not declare an inexpensive heat-preserving method non-inferior to warm air convection in preventing intraoperative hypothermia in children undergoing anesthesia for cranial neurosurgery in a resource-limited setting.
Study context
- Population
- Children younger than 12 years scheduled for cranial neurosurgery in a large East-African hospital (resource-limited setting)77 analysed
- Participants
- 38 vs 39
- Comparison
- Hibler's method vs forced-air warming
- Hibler'sn = 38
- Warm airn = 39reference
- Primary endpoint
- Incidence of hypothermia (core temperature < 36.0° for longer than 5 min)
Methodological detailsnon-inferiority, block-randomized by age
- Non-inferiority
- Block-randomized by age
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Hibler's vs Warm airOdds ratio (95% CI)P value
Hibler's
1.07(0.43–2.65)
P = 0.890Non-inferiority margin 20 as printed, not drawn
- Exceeded the 0.2 margin; non-inferiority could not be declared
- risk difference 1.55% (95% CI −0.20 to −0.24)
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | Hibler's | Warm air | OR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Need for rescue measures | 71.1 0% | 69.2% | 1.09 (0.41–2.90) | P = 0.861 | |
| 0.20.5125Odds ratio (log scale) |
Prespecified secondary outcomes (hypothermia duration as proportion of surgical duration, postoperative shivering, rescue measures)
- No statistically significant difference between groups for any prespecified secondary outcome
Original publication
Preventing hypothermia in pediatric neurosurgery in Africa—A randomized controlled non‐inferiority trial of insulation versus active warming. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. Published 26 October 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →