THE SURGICAL ISOLATION BUBBLE SYSTEM AND PATIENT TEMPERATURE DURING VENTRICULOPERITONEAL SHUNT INSERTION IN PRETERM AND TERM NEWBORN-INFANTS

The ultraclean air environment in a plastic isolator has been used in cerebrospinal fluid shunt interventions in an attempt to reduce the in cidence of infections. The blower that maintains a continuous flow of filtered air in the operative field may create body temperature change s. In this study we assessed the temperature before, during and at the end of the operation in preterm and term infants in whom ventriculope ritoneal shunts were being placed. There were 12 preterm and 9 term in fants. The duration of the operative intervention ranged from 25 to 50 min. In the preterm infants the mean initial temperature was 36.2+/-0 .2 degrees C, and the final temperature was 35.7+/-0.2 degrees C. This difference was not significant. The initial temperature in the term i nfants was 36.26+/-0.2 degrees C, and the final temperature was 35.9+/ -0.3 degrees C, also not significantly different. The surgical isolati on bubble system does not alter the temperature of preterm and term in fants significantly during ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedures perfo rmed within the operative times seen in this study.