Hypothermia

Maintaining body temperature is important because unintentional hypothermia has been related to myocardial ischemia, angina, and hypoxemia during the early postoperative period, particularly in high-risk patients undergoing lower extremity vascular surgery (see Chapter 40 ).^[151] In patients with cardiac risk factors who are undergoing noncardiac surgery, perioperative maintenance of normothermia is associated with a reduced incidence of morbid cardiac events and ventricular tachycardia. ^[152] Advanced age and general anesthesia are associated with hypothermia. During spinal anesthesia, a higher level of blockade is related to a greater magnitude of core hypothermia.^[153]