Induction of anaesthesia is universally associated with hypothermia due to loss of normal thermoregulatory mechanism. This rapid fall in core temperature during first hour is followed by a gradual and constant decline in core temperature. Even mild hypothermia may be deleterious to the patient outcome because of associated myocardial ischemia, ⁴ prolonged drug actions, ⁵ coagulopathy⁶ and shivering.  So we decided to conduct this study to compare the effects of external heating (forced air warming system) and internal heat generation (amino acid infusion) in preventing hypothermia during anesthesia.

After institutional research committee’s approval this prospective, randomized, study will be conducted in 75ASA Grade – I/II patients of either sex in the age group of 20 to 65 years admitted for elective cancer surgery under general anesthesia. The patients will be randomized into two  groups Group AA4      (N=50): Amino Acid infusion @ 4ml/kg/hr and Group FA (N=50): forced air warming system will be applied. All the patients will be covered with the drapes. Intravenous fluids via fluid warmer will be given as per requirement.   All the patients will be hooked to standard monitors in the operating room and anesthesia will be induced with Propofol 2mg/kg. Airway will be secured after injection vecuronium bromide (0.1mg/kg). The core temperature of the patients will be recorded pre induction and every 20 minutes thereafter. OT temperature, mean intraoperative temperature, presence of intraoperative hypothermia, operative time, use of blood products, total fluids infused, platelet and coagulation function  as assessed by thrombo-elastograph and oxygen debt will be noted. The data thus collected will be expressed as a number or mean ± standard deviation. Patient characteristics will be compared with chi-square test. Appropriate tests will be applied for other data and the degree of hypothermia will be correlated with various variables.