GE Healthcare enFlow IV Fluid and Blood Warmer - Brochure - Manual (Page 2)

Cold and shivering patients are more than just uncomfortable. During the last
two decades attention has focused on the dangers and costs of hypothermia,
core body temperature of less than 36 °C (96.8 °F).
Increased potential for post-operative infections
“Even mild hypothermia reduces resistance to surgical-wound infection by
directly impairing immune function (especially oxidative killing by neutrophils)
and decreasing the cutaneous blood flow, which reduces the delivery oxygen
to tissue.”
1
Increased need for blood transfusions
“Patients in whom normothermia was maintained during surgery required
86% fewer units of red blood cells, 79% fewer units of plasma and 78% fewer
units of platelets than patients in the hypothermic group.”
2
Increased length of stay
“Hypothermic patients required approximately 40 min longer (94 ± 65 vs. 53
± 36 min) to reach fitness for discharge, even when return to normothermia
was not a criterion (P < 0.001). Duration of recovery in the two groups differed
by approximately 90 min when a core temperature > 36 °C was also required
(P < 0.001).”
3
Increased hospital cost of hypothermia
“Meta-analytic results allowed us to conclude that hypothermia averaging
only 1.5 °C less than normal resulted in cumulative adverse outcomes adding
between $2,500 and $7,000 per surgical patient to hospitalization costs
across a variety of surgical procedures.”
4
enFlow IV Fluid/Blood Warming System
Better patient care can help save money
Simplicity, Mobility and Delivery
Valuable work flow features
• No bulky cassettes or tubing jacket
• No controls to adjust
• No calibrations to conduct
Simple set up and operation
• Place the cartridge in-line
• Prime the IV line
• Insert the cartridge in the warmer and close the
covers
The system warms fluids rapidly and automatically to a
target temperature of 40 °C