SERVICE MANUAL
Medi-Therm®III
WARNING
•Avoid placing additional heat sources between the patient and blanket.
Skin damage can result.
Heat applied by the blanket can result in a rise in skin temperature at
the areas of contact. The additional heat rise due to electrosurgical
currents flowing to the dispersive electrode could be sufficient to
cause tissue injury. Each thermal effect by itself may be completely safe,
but the additive effect may be injurious.1Keep additional heat sources
from between the patient and the blanket.
•Prevent excessive and/or prolonged tissue pressure and shearing
forces, especially over boney prominences. Skin damage may
result.
Localized skin injury due to tissue compressed between boney
prominences and fluid-filled channels has occurred during prolonged
cardiovascular procedures at blanket temperatures well below the
scientifically established epidermal burn injury threshold.2
Local ischemia can follow the application of pressures exceeding capil-
lary pressure resulting in tissue necrosis. This local effect may be en-
hanced by generalized impairment of the circulation, local shearing
forces and increased metabolic demand because of temperature eleva-
tion. Pathological changes may begin in two (2) hours.
•Keep the area between the patient and the blanket dry. Excessive
moisture may result in skin damage.
The application of heating or cooling may affect the toxicity of
solutions. Prep solutions have been reported to injure the skin when
allowed to remain between patients and water circulating heating
blankets during prolonged procedures.3
REFERENCES
1 Gendron, F. G. Unexplained Patient Burns. chap. 5, p. 87, Quest Publishing Co., 1988.
2 Scott, Stewart M. Thermal Blanket Injury in the Operating Room. Arch. Surg., vol. 94, p. 181, Feb. 1967; Crino, Marjanne H. Thermal
Burns Caused by Warming Blankets in the Operating Room. Clinical Workshop, vol. 29, pp. 149-150, Jan-Feb 1980; Gendron, Francis
G. Journal of Clinical Engineering, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 19-26, January-March 1980; Moritz, A. R. and Henriques, Jr., F.C. Studies of
Thermal Injury II. The Relative Importance of Time and Surface Temperature in the Causation of Cutaneous Burns. Am. J. Path., 23:695,
1947; Stoll, Alice M. and Chianta, Maria A. Method and Rating System for Evaluation of Thermal Protection. Aerospace Medicine, vol.
40, no. 11, pp. 1232-1238, Nov. 1969; Stewart, T. P. and Magnano, S. Burns or Pressure Ulcers in the Surgical Patient. Decubitus, vol.
1, pp. 36-40, 1988.
3 Llorens, Alfred S. Reaction to povidone-iodine surgical scrub, scrub associated with radical pelvic operation. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., pp.
834-835, Nov. 14, 1974; Hodgkinson, Darryl J., Irons, George B. and Williams, Tiffany J., Chemical Burns and Skin Preparation
Solutions. Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics, vol. 17 pp. 534-536, Oct. 1978.
PATIENT SAFETY
1.0 PATIENT SAFETY
(continued)
CAUTION
•Place a dry absorbent sheet between the patient and the blanket
when using all-vinyl blankets.
A dry absorbent sheet placed between the patient and the Hyper/
Hypothermia Blanket will absorb perspiration. Vinyl blankets with
nonwoven fabric surfaces do not require an absorbent sheet when
using the nonwoven side toward the patient.
• Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order
of a physician.
2
