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NCT Number: NCT07137143

The Effect of Heating the Intensive Care Room in the Early Postoperative Period on Patient Outcomes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of heating the intensive care room in the early postoperative period on patient outcomes.

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Key information

Conditions

Abdominal Surgery Complications Body Temperature Changes Hypothermia Hypothermia Following Anesthesia Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Adana City Training and Research Hospital

Adana, Yüreğir, 01220, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Cansel Bozer Uludağ, Expert

CONTACT

[email protected]

+905434332624

About this study

Hypothermia is defined as a drop in body temperature below 35°C, and patients are at high risk during the perioperative period.Unintentional hypothermia can begin before anesthesia and continue for up to the first 24 hours postoperatively.Its incidence varies between 50% and 90% depending on the patient's medical condition, the nature of the surgery, and operating room conditions.Hypothermia leads to complications such as arrhythmia, hypertension, angina, coagulopathy, increased oxygen demand, nausea, vomiting, and delayed wound healing.Additionally, adverse effects such as shivering, changes in cognitive function, decreased patient comfort, and prolonged hospital stay are also observed.The development of hypothermia is influenced by anesthesia-related thermoregulation impairment, a cold operating room environment, and prolonged operations.Patients report experiencing intense chills and shivering, especially in the postoperative period.

This increases anxiety and negatively impacts patient satisfaction and comfort. Guidelines recommend the use of passive and active warming methods to prevent unintended hypothermia.However, no studies have been found in the literature examining the effect of heating the patient room in the postoperative period.In this regard, our study was designed to evaluate the effect of heating the intensive care room in the early postoperative period on patient outcomes and to contribute to the literature.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • The following criteria will be included in the sample:
  • Patients who underwent elective abdominal surgery and were admitted to intensive care after surgery.
  • Patients aged 18 and over.
  • Patients whose body temperature on the morning of surgery was neither below 36°C nor above 37.5°C.
  • Patients who did not have a pacemaker, dementia, advanced spasticity, muscle atrophy, peripheral lesions, osteoporosis, skin irritation, diabetes, hypertension, or obesity.
  • Patients who did not require mechanical ventilation.
  • Patients who did not have any illness that would impair thermoregulation (such as head trauma or hypothalamic damage).
  • Patients who were not taking medications that would affect thermoregulation, such as vasodilators.
  • Patients who did not have peripheral circulation problems.
  • Patients who were not alcohol or substance abusers.
  • Patients who did not have mental retardation.
  • Patients who were conscious and oriented to person, time, and place.
  • Patients who could speak Turkish.
  • Patients who did not have any auditory or visual impairments.
  • Patients who volunteered for the study.

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients who do not meet the sampling criteria, who develop postoperative complications (bleeding, intubation, stenosis, necrosis, ileus, dermatitis, parastomal herniation, etc.), and whose relatives do not consent to the study will not be included in the study.

Treatment and study plan

The rooms of the intervention group patients will be heated before they come to intensive care and the temperature of the room will be increased.

Other

The rooms of the intervention group patients will be heated before they come to intensive care and the temperature of the room will be increased.

Primary outcomes

  1. The Thermal Comfort Scale (TKS)

    Time frame: 6 months

    The Thermal Comfort Scale (TKS) is a Likert-type scale developed by Wagner and colleagues in 2006. Although it was developed to assess the thermal comfort perception of preoperative patients, the authors state that it is also suitable for evaluating conscious postoperative patients. The scale assesses the patient's thermal comfort perception based on self-report. The scale consists of 13 items, each scored from 1 to 6. A higher score indicates a higher thermal comfort perception.

  2. Temperature Comfort Perception Scale (TPS)

    Time frame: 6 months

    The Temperature Comfort Perception Scale is a visual analog scale developed by Wagner and colleagues to objectively assess patients' perception of temperature comfort. It is scored based on patient self-reporting from 0 (extremely cold) to 10 (extremely hot), with a score of 5 representing optimal temperature comfort.

  3. Numerical Pain Assessment Scale (SAS)

    Time frame: 6 months

    This study planned to use a 10-point pain scale, with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing the most unbearable pain. In the study, patients will be asked to select the number that best describes their pain intensity.

  4. Tremor Level Assessment Scale (TRS)

    Time frame: 6 months

    Tremor Level Assessment Scale (TRS) This form, used to assess patients' tremor levels, was developed based on literature. The form was developed using the studies of Badjaita et al. (2008) and May et al. (2011), and was based on criteria for determining the level of tremor based on observation. Tremor level will be assessed based on observation as follows: 0 (absent), 1 (mild; tremor localized only to the neck and/or thorax), 2 (moderate; tremor in the neck, thorax, and upper extremities), and 3 (severe; tremor in the trunk, upper, and lower extremities).

  5. Patient Monitoring Form (PMP)

    Time frame: 6 months

    Patient Monitoring Form (PMP) This form was developed by researchers based on a literature review to monitor the body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiration, pain, oxygen saturation, shivering levels, thermal comfort perception, and thermal comfort levels of patients in the intervention and control groups.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Cansel Bozer Uludağ, expert

CONTACT

[email protected]

+905434332624

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Cukurova University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Aug 22, 2025
Registry last updated
Aug 27, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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