Temperature monitoring and hypothermia prevention in Norwegian surgical patients: A retrospective observational study

Astrid Birgitte Wevling; Cathrine Heen; Linda Iren Mihaila Hansen; Judy Munday; Tor-Ivar Karlsen

doi:10.1177/20571585261468206

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Temperature monitoring and hypothermia prevention in Norwegian surgical patients: A retrospective observational study

Journal article

Open access

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Temperature monitoring and hypothermia prevention in Norwegian surgical patients: A retrospective observational study

Astrid Birgitte Wevling, Cathrine Heen, Linda Iren Mihaila Hansen, Judy Munday and Tor-Ivar Karlsen

Nordic journal of nursing research, Vol.46, pp.1-9

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20571585261468206

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Abstract

perioperative care

nursing

operating room

operating theatre

guideline compliance

Perioperative hypothermia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Systematic temperature monitoring is considered important for early detection of hypothermia and timely intervention, yet incidence remains high. This study examined monitoring practices across the perioperative course. We conducted a 1-week retrospective observational study of 1261 patients undergoing surgery lasting more than 30 min. Temperature monitoring data, including hypothermia incidence and the use of monitoring devices, were extracted from electronic records. Only 11.1% of patients had complete temperature documentation across all stages, and hypothermia was frequently recorded. Preoperative temperature measurements were documented in 31.8% of patients with an average 7 h delay between ward measurement and arrival in the operating theatre, potentially limiting clinical utility of these measurements. Intraoperative monitoring occurred in 26.1% of patients and in 29.0% at the post-anesthesia care unit. We found intraoperative hypothermia in 38% of patients. The most commonly used device preoperatively was an infrared aural canal thermometer, and in the operating theatre, the most common device was urinary catheter-based invasive temperature monitoring. These findings indicate suboptimal continuity of temperature monitoring across the perioperative pathway. Our findings highlight opportunities to improve the consistency of perioperative temperature monitoring and warrant further research into factors influencing current practice.

Details

Title: Temperature monitoring and hypothermia prevention in Norwegian surgical patients: A retrospective observational study
Authors: Astrid Birgitte Wevling (Corresponding Author) - Østfold University College
Cathrine Heen - Oslo University Hospital
Linda Iren Mihaila Hansen - University of Agder
Judy Munday - University of the Sunshine Coast
Tor-Ivar Karlsen - University of Agder
Publication details: Nordic journal of nursing research, Vol.46, pp.1-9
Publisher: SAGE Publishing
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1177/20571585261468206
ISSN: 2057-1593
Copyright note: © The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Data Availability: Relevant and anonymized data can be accessed from Sikt–Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research (Reference to be added after acceptance).
Organisation Unit: School of Health - Nursing
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991246228802621
Output Type: Journal article

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