Comparison of 3 Methods for Preventing Perianesthetic Hypothermia in Callimicos (Callimico goeldii).

Perianesthetic hypothermia is one of the most common complications in veterinary anesthesia, especially in small patients with a large body surface area to mass ratio. During anesthesia, body heat can be lost through 4 mechanisms-radiation, convection,conduction, and evaporation-but anesthetists frequently address only one mechanism at a time. Here we sought to evaluate 3 methods of preventing perianesthetic hypothermia in callimicos (Callimico goeldii). In our experience, these smallNHP routinely become hypothermic under even brief inhalant anesthesia. To address multiple routes of heat loss, animalsreceived 1 of 3 treatments: 1) placement of a reflective blanket over the patient to limit radiative heat loss to the surroundingenvironment; 2) placement of a reflective blanket and use of a heated anesthetic circuit, which warmed the inspired air to104 °F (40 °C), and 3) placement under the patient of a forced-air warming blanket set at 109.4 °F (43 °C). Sources of radiative heat loss were assessed by using infrared thermography. Each animal was anesthetized with isoflurane and maintainedin sternal recumbency in a temperature-controlled room (65 °F; 18.3 °C); esophageal core body temperature was monitoredevery 5 min for a total of 30 min. The rate of heat loss did not differ between the use of a reflective blanket with or withouta heated anesthetic circuit. Animals provided the forced-air warming blanket experienced a slight increase in average bodytemperature. According to these findings, an underbody warm-air blanket provided the best protection against hypothermiafor callimicos in sternal recumbency.