Characteristic changes between core and peripheral surface temperature related with postanesthetic shivering following surgical operations.

The relationship between changes in the core and the surface temperature and postanesthetic shivering was studied in 100 patients who underwent general anesthesia. Patients were classified into four groups by the patterns of change in the core and peripheral surface temperature. Type II and type IV groups of patients showed a decrease in surface temperature during the major operation such as gastrectomy and radical mastectomy. Type I and type III groups of patients showed no lowered peripheral surface temperature and with low temperature difference between core and surface temperature during the operation. The patients in type II and IV groups showed increased difference between core and surface temperature. The postanesthetic shivering occurred at significantly higher rate compared to the other two groups. As possible reasons of the shivering, operation of long duration and insufficient circulating blood volume were considered. Shivering reduces the temperature difference in the thermoregulatory homeostasis. However, in patients in type I and III, the rate of shivering was low. Evaluation of the difference between core and peripheral surface temperature may be important to manage body temperature at a steady level during the operation. The monitoring of body temperature difference between core and peripheral surface during the operation may be useful for predicting to occurrence of postanesthetic shivering.