The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient who has had a carpel tunnel repair. The patient has a temperature of 97° F and is shivering. Which of the following is the best reason for this condition?
a. The patient is dressed only in a gown.
b. Anesthesia lowers metabolism.
c. The surgical suite has laminar flow.
d. The open body cavity contributed to heat loss.
B
The operating suite and recovery room environments are cool. The patient's anesthetically depressed level of body function results in lowering of metabolism and a fall in body temperature. The patient being dressed in a gown and laminar flow in the surgical suite can contribute to a decrease in temperature, but the length of time required for this procedure would minimize this effect. Also, the patient in this type of case does not have a large open body cavity to contribute to heat loss.
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