Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia is caused by a combination of many factors: anaesthesia, surgical exposure, cool ambient temperatures and the infusion of cold intravenous and irrigation fluids.1,2
hile fluid warming alone will not transfer sufficient heat to warm a patient, it is possible to cool them if unwarmed.1 To help mitigate this risk, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence(NICE) recommends the warming of intravenous and irrigations fluids.3
The 3M Ranger Blood & Fluid Warming System provides the user with the ability to warm intravenous bloods and fluids from low flow through to flows in excess of 30L/hr. The Ranger systems intelligent heating system continuously monitors plate and warming set temperatures, ensuring the warming plates maintain a 41±1°C temperature. This insures that sufficient warming is maintained, irrespective of infusion rate or infused fluid temperature.
Unlike some blood and fluid warming systems, the Ranger system consists of a single warming unit that accepts three different warming sets: paediatric, standard and high flow. All sets have a bubble trap or air elimination device integrated into their patient line. This provides an added barrier to the infusion of an intravenous air emboli, a serious, yet largely preventable patient incident that has been included on the Department of Health ‘never events’ list. The autoventing bubble trap fitted to high flow sets is capable of venting up to three litres of air per minute, without impeding flow.5
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