Gaymar Medi-Therm III Manuel D'utilisation page 16

Patient Safety
• Prevent excessive and/or prolonged tissue
pressure and shearing forces, especially over
boney prominences.
Skin damage may result.
Localized skin injury due to tissue compressed
between boney prominences and fluid filled
channels has occurred during prolonged
cardiovascular procedures at water
temperatures well below the scientifically
established epidermal burn injury threshold.
Local ischemia can follow the application of
pressures exceeding capillary pressure resulting
in tissue necrosis. This local effect may be
enhanced by generalized impairment of the
circulation, local shearing forces and increased
metabolic demand because of temperature
elevation. Pathological changes may begin in
two (2) hours.
• Keep the area between the patient and the
blanket/body wrap dry.
Excessive moisture may result in skin
damage.
The application of heating or cooling may
affect the toxicity of solutions. Prep solutions
have been reported to injure the skin when
allowed to remain between patients and water
circulating heating blankets/body wraps during
prolonged procedures.
• Place a dry absorbent sheet between the patient
and the blanket when using the plastic-like side of
any blanket.
Moisture may accumulate which may result
in skin damage.
A dry absorbent sheet placed between the
patient and the Hyper/Hypothermia Blanket
will provide a sanitary barrier and absorb
perspiration. It will also promote more
uniform distribution of heat. Vinyl blankets with
nonwoven fabric surfaces and body wraps do
not require an absorbent sheet when using the
nonwoven side.
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REFERENCES
1 Gendron, F. G. Unexplained Patient Burns. Chap. 5,
p. 87, Quest Publishing Co., 1988.
2 Scott, Stewart M. Thermal Blanket Injury in the
Operating Room. Arch. Surg., Vol. 94, p. 181, Feb.
1967; Crino, Marjanne H. Thermal Burns Caused
by Warming Blankets in the Operating Room.
Clinical Workshop, Vol. 29, pp. 149-150, Jan-Feb
1980; Gendron, Francis G. Journal of Clinical
Engineering. Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 19-26, January-
March 1980; Moritz, A.R. and Henriques, Jr., "F.C.
Studies of Thermal Injury II." In The Relative
Importance of Time and Surface Temperature in
the Causation of Cutaneous Burns. Am. J. Path.,
23:695, 1947; Stoll, Alice M. and Chianta, Maria
A. Method and Rating System for Evaluation of
Thermal Protection. Aerospace Medicine, Vol. 40,
No. 11, pp. 1232-1238, Nov. 1969; Stewart, T. P.
and Magnano, S. Burns or Pressure Ulcers in the
Surgical Patient. Decubitus, Vol. 1, pp. 36-40, 1988.
3 Llorens, Alfred S. Reaction to Povidone-Iodine
Surgical Scrub, Scrub Associated with Radical
Pelvic Operation. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., pp.
834-835, Nov. 14, 1974; Hodgkinson, Darryl J.,
Irons, George B. and Williams, Tiffany J. Chemical
Burns and Skin Preparation Solutions. Surgery,
Gynecology & Obstetrics, Vol. 17, pp. 534-536,
Oct. 1978.
Medi-Therm III
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