Abstract
Background: At body temperature below 36 ° C, hypothermia occurs, causing severe problems for the patients. Hypothermia during laparoscopic surgery can negate the benefits of this method, thus proper control can reduce the associated complications, length of hospital stay, and costs. This study aimed to explain factors affecting hypothermia in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery based on the lived experience of the operating room staff.
Methods: This qualitative study was performed as a contractual content analysis. Eight operating room nurses of the hospital of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences were selected by purposive sampling. Data collection tools were in-depth semi-structured interviews, observations, and library studies. The data were analyzed by using Graneheim and Lundman method.
Results: Data analysis led to ten sub-themes and five main themes, including non-optimal infusion of liquids, unfavorable gas insufflation, the need to be aware of hypothermia in laparoscopic surgery, improper covering of the patient’s body, and non-optimal heating of the environment and the patient.
Conclusion: In patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery, hypothermia is an essential and dangerous complication; in this research, an attempt was made to identify factors affecting hypothermia and increase the awareness of the operating room staff to take a step toward the optimal control of the hypothermia complication.