Background and Goal of Study: The use of warming devices, which operate on various principles, is useful for maintaining perioperative normothermia as well as reducing morbidity and complications. The Mega Acer Kit® (MAK) is designed for warming the fluid via the lumen of a newly designed heated circuit. We conducted to compare the fluid warming capabilities in three different fluid warmers. 

Materials and methods: The intravenous fluid warmers used in this study were the Mega Acer Kit® (Group M, n = 10), ThermoSens® (Group T, n = 10) and Standard Ranger (Group R, n = 10). Fluids, which had been stored in the operating room over the previous 24 h, were delivered at 440 ml/h through preheated warming devices. Recording of Fluid temperature was performed at 2 points during 1 hour: the inlet point and the outlet point (76 cm from the warming device) of fluid warmers.

Results and discussion: The fluid temperature at inlet point (Tin) showed no significant differences among the groups. The fluid temperature at outlet point (Tout) was significantly highest in group M at all the time points (P < 0.05), and the values in group T were not significantly higher than in group R except of values of several time pointes. The steady state values of “Tout” for three fluid warmers were approached 10 min after starting study, and then maintained the constant temperature until 60 min (35.95 ± 0.39°C vs. 36.01 ± 0.39°C, 29.37 ± 0.81°C vs. 29.16 ± 0.84°C, and 29.97 ± 0.55°C vs. 29.2 ± 2.38°C, respectively in group M, T and R at 30 min and 60 min, P > 0.05).

Conclusion(s): The MAK heated fluid above 35°C, whereas ThermoSens® and Standard Ranger failed to achieve above 35 °C with flows set at 440 ml/h.

References: 
1. Artif Organs. 2015 Jul;39(7):591-6. doi: 10.1111/aor.12441. Epub 2015 Apr 10. 
2. J Anesth. 2015 Aug;29(4):499-507. doi: 10.1007/s00540-015-1994-z. Epub 2015 Mar 14.

The experimental comparison of warming efficacy by three different fluid warmers at constant infusion rate