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How Anesthesia Lowers Your Body Temperature

General anesthesia disables the body’s normal heat-preserving defenses, which is why active warming is routine in the OR.

❄️ Anesthesia shuts down shivering and heat regulation
Under normal conditions, the hypothalamus triggers vasoconstriction and shivering to maintain core temperature. Anesthetic drugs blunt these responses and reduce metabolic heat production by 20–30 percent, so the body cannot generate warmth on its own. PMID: 28349090

🔄 Heat redistributes from your core to your skin
Right after anesthesia induction, vasodilation allows warm blood to shift from the core to the periphery. This alone drops core temperature by 0.5–1.5°C within the first hour. PMID: 28349090

🌬️ The operating room accelerates heat loss
Cool room temperatures, exposed skin, evaporative loss from open surgical sites, and cold IV fluids all pull heat away. With shivering and vasoconstriction disabled, the drop continues unless warming measures are used. Many patients become mildly to moderately hypothermic without intervention.

⚠️ Why this drop matters
Even mild hypothermia can impair clotting and increase bleeding, raise infection risk, slow drug metabolism, and prolong recovery. Postoperative shivering increases oxygen demand and can stress the heart, especially in high-risk patients. PMID: 27482306

🛏️ Why we use warming blankets and heated IV fluids
Forced-air warming blankets reduce heat loss through radiation and convection. Warmed IV fluids prevent core cooling from cold infusions. Together, they help maintain stable body temperature and lower the risks associated with intraoperative hypothermia. PMID: 31723908

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