Abstract

Introduction: Hypothermia is an important complication during surgery, especially in children, and is highly associated with serious adverse outcomes. One of the preventive methods is the intraoperative administration of amino acids, which can be effective through increasing thermogenesis and stimulating energy consumption. No studies have been conducted in this regard on children; therefore, we evaluated the preventive effect of intraoperative administration of amino acid on hypothermia in children. Materials and Methods: Forty children, aged 2 to 6 years, who were candidates for hypospadias surgery in Dr. Sheikh Hospital, Mashhad-Iran, were divided into two groups. In the case group, 10 amino acid (2 cc/kg/h) was administered two hours before the operation, and in the control group, normal saline was given as required. All patients underwent a similar method of anesthesia. body temperature was recorded before the anesthesia, immediately after it, and every ten minutes. Results: The mean age and weight had no difference between the groups. Duration of patients' awakening time was (13.60 ± 4.91 min), which in the case and control groups was reported as (11.90 ± 5.27) and (15.30 ± 3.96 min), respectively (P<0.05). The patients' body temperature was higher in the case group. It was not significantly different between the groups before, and until 20 min after the start of the surgery. In the next measurements, the temperature was significantly different among the groups; the difference became more prominent as the time passed. Conclusion: Perioperative administration of 10 amino acid causes an increase in children's body temperature, leading to faster awakening time of the patients.