Some surgical wound infections and other complications can be prevented by keeping the patient's body temperature near normal during surgery. Medical research has shown that patients whose body temperatures drop during surgery have a greater risk of infection, and their wounds may not heal as quickly. Hospital staff should make sure that patients are actively warmed during and immediately after surgery to prevent a patient's bod temperature from dropping. This measure shows the percentage of patients whose body temperature was normal or near normal during the time period 15 minutes before the end of surgery and 30 minutes after surgical anesthesia ended.

July 2011 - June 2012 data

For the above graph: Higher ↑ performance is better.

Results over time

For the above graph: Higher ↑ performance is better.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently added this as a new performance measure. The period between April 2010 and March 2011 is the first time CMS has tracked data on this quality measurement.

More surgical care measurements 

• Patients using beta-blocker therapy prior to arrival
• Antibiotic received within one hour before surgery
• Antibiotic selection for surgical patients
• Antibiotics discontinued within 24 hours after surgery
• Blood glucose control
• Appropriate hair removal
• Urinary catheter removal on first or second day after surgery
• Timely blood clot treatments ordered
• Blood clot prevention treatment received within 24 hours of surgery
• Patients having surgery who were actively warmed in the operating room

Back to Surgical Care