Metrics
6 Record Views
Journal article
Management of Body Temperature via the Respiratory Tract
Respiratory care, Vol.online ahead of print
08/25/2025
PMID: 40854591
Web of Science ID: WOS:001558262900001
Abstract
Hypothermia, defined as a core body temperature <= 35 degrees C, significantly increases morbidity and mortality in mechanically ventilated patients across numerous care settings. Physiologically, the upper airway conditions inspired gases to body temperature and humidity, minimizing heat energy loss and preventing mucosal damage. Instrumentation, such as endotracheal intubation, bypasses this natural mechanism, leading to considerable heat and moisture loss, potentially exacerbating hypothermia risks in critically ill patients. Active humidifiers and heat and moisture exchangers represent common strategies to mitigate airway heat loss, yet their effectiveness as a method to assist in whole-body rewarming is controversial. Emerging technologies indicate renewed interest in airway-based warming devices, especially for prehospital and military trauma scenarios, but robust clinical validation remains necessary. This narrative review evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of airway-based thermoregulation through inhalation of heated, humidified gases.
Files and links (2)
Related links
Details
- Title
- Management of Body Temperature via the Respiratory Tract
- Publication Details
- Respiratory care, Vol.online ahead of print
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Mary Ann Liebert, Inc
- Number of pages
- 10
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2025.
- Identifiers
- WOS:001558262900001; 99381559030706600
- Academic Unit
- Usha Kundu, MD College of Health; Health Sciences and Administration
- Language
- English