Reduction of oxygen consumption, insensible water loss, and radiant heat demand with use of a plastic blanket for low-birth-weight infants under radiant warmers.

摘要: Eight very low-birth-weight premature infants (mean birth weight 1.11 +/- 0.05 [SEM]kg, mean gestation 30 1 weeks, and age 9 2 days) were studied under servocontrolled radiant warmers with without a loosely fitted, transparent, flexible Saran plastic blanket. Metabolic rate was significantly less in all when covered by the blanket (oxygen consumption 7.99 1.13 mL/kg/min v 9.00 1.10 uncovered, P than .001). There also significant reductions insensible water loss (1.86 0.18 1.25 0.20 mL/kg/h, .01) heat demand from warmer (14.3 1.3 9.9 1.4 mW/cm2, .001) nursed compared control condition, respectively. Covering critically ill, infant heater thin, transparent layer of is beneficial reducing oxygen consumption, loss, need for exposure to high levels heat. Further investigation confirm benefits possible complications blankets should be conducted before routine use can recommended.