CMS has extensive knowledge and expertise in providing hospital trusts with patient warming products. The Mistral-Air premium warming range is produced by The 37° Company, a specialist in the area of patient temperature management.
Preventing inadvertent perioperative hypothermia helps to reduce surgical site infections, the length of hospital stays and the cost per patient. The Mistral-Air premium warming range includes both a blanket and suit. The premium range features a reflective material on the non-patient side, which provides both passive and active warming.
The Mistral-Air Premium Warming Blanket is an all-in-one solution for keeping a patient warm during the entire perioperative procedure. The insulating top layer of the premium blanket increases the warming capacity by at least ten per cent, by reducing radiant heat loss. Premium blankets can reduce heat loss by up to eighty per cent in the perioperative environment. The Mistral-Air Premium Warming Suit, which also features an insulating top layer, can be used instead of a surgical gown. After pre-warming, the suit can be separated; enabling it to be used as an upper or lower body cover during surgery. Post surgery, the suit can be joined back together with the Velcro tabs. The suit is ideal for procedures that have a high hypothermia risk.
A comparative investigation of temperatures reached in forced air warming blankets was carried out by the Department of Anesthesiology at Matsusaka Chuo General Hospital in Japan. The hospital used three forced air warming device types and conducted a comparative study of the temperatures reached in blankets during usage. The study concluded that differences in internal heat retention are due to the material a blanket is made from. The investigation found that the temperatures in the centre of the blankets were similar across the different suppliers but the peripheral temperatures are far higher in blankets that include a reflective layer. The study also noted that the air velocity was a lot lower in the best performing device, Mistral-Air from The 37° Company.
Perioperative hypothermia is a well-recognised complication that occurs during general anaesthesia. Patient pre-warming before surgery has been used as a preventative measure and guidelines recommend it. In December 2016, the NICE Guidelines were updated to focus on pre-warming, which NICE believes should be a key part of the pre-operative process.
For more information on the Mistral-Air Premium Warming Blanket and the Mistral-Air® Premium Warming Suit, contact Tracey Pavier-Grant, Sales Director at Central Medical Supplies on 01538 392 596, email tracey@centralmedical.co.uk or visit www.centralmedical.co.uk
