Effect of Prewarming on Perioperative Hypothermia in Patients Undergoing Loco-Regional or General Anesthesia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Redistribution hypothermia occurs during anesthesia despite active intraoperative warming. Prewarming increases the heat absorption by peripheral tissue, reducing the central to peripheral heat gradient. Therefore, the addition of prewarming may offer a greater preservation of intraoperative normothermia as compared to intraoperative warming only.