Risk Factors for Perioperative Hypothermia in Pregnant Women undergoing Cesarean Section: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

AIM: Hypothermia is one of the common complications of cesarean section, which has a serious impact on intraoperative surgical safety and postoperative recovery of pregnant women. Mitigation of the risk factors of hypothermia in pregnant women undergoing cesarean section may reduce the probability of its occurrence and improve the perioperative comfort of pregnant women. Therefore, this study systematically evaluates the influencing factors of hypothermia in patients undergoing cesarean section, aiming to provide references for the prevention of hypothermia in pregnant women undergoing cesarean section. 

METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across various databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and Chinese Biomedical Literature databases to gather observational studies on the factors affecting hypothermia in pregnant women undergoing cesarean section. The search deadline was January 30, 2024. Two researchers independently screened literature, extracted data, evaluated quality, and crosschecked the outcomes. Meta analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 and Stata17.0. 

RESULTS: Twelve studies were included in this review, all of which were case-control studies conducted from 2014 to 2022, encompassing a total of 5561 pregnant women. The quality of the studies included was average or above. The meta-analysis results showed that body mass index (mean difference (MD) = –1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) [–2.84, –0.11]; p = 0.03), operating room temperature (odds ratio (OR) = 2.08; 95% CI [1.56, 2.76]; p < 0.00001), anesthesia method (OR = 1.84; 95% CI [1.40, 2.42]; p < 0.0001), fluid loss (MD = 160.09; 95% CI [77.31, 242.87]; p = 0.0002), flushing volume (MD = 66.43; 95% CI [8.46, 124.40]; p = 0.02), and hypothyroidism (OR = 2.29; 95% CI [1.61, 3.27]; p < 0.00001) were risk factors for perioperative hypothermia in pregnant women undergoing cesarean section (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of hypothermia in pregnant women during the perioperative period is influenced by factors such as low body mass index, spinal anesthesia, low operating room temperature, intraoperative fluid loss, large flushing volume, and hypothyroidism.