Temperate tunics: Greater Regional offers heated gowns

CNA photo by ANDY GOODELL In control: Patients using the Bair Paws warming system have this controller to adjust the temperature of air flowing through their hospital gown.

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When going under the knife, comfort is key. At Greater Regional Medical Center, surgery patients don’t have to settle for the traditional hospital gown and blankets to feel better about having surgery. Since December, the hospital has utilized the “Bair Paws” warming system, which is a gown attached to an air flow generator, and operated using a handheld controller. Surgery nurse Diana Turner said the ease of control over a patient’s body temperature is where Bair Paws can prove superior to the conventional heated blanket. “A warm blanket will cool off if you just sit there,” Diana explained. “They can control that with the Bair Paws. It’s like taking Tylenol for a fever. You want to stay ahead of it.” Emily Turner, also a surgery nurse, said the reception from patients utilizing Bair Paws has been very positive. “One patient we had said they felt like a baby, they were so comfortable,” Emily said. Maintaining temperature Joel Emerson, director of surgery and anesthesia services, said he has been maintaining patient body temperatures with a heating system called the “Bair Hugger” for several years. Being able to maintain patient body temperature with the complimentary Bair Paws system is a distinct advantage, he said. It is important for patients to maintain a normal body temperature before, during and after surgery. A decrease in body temperature can result in wound infection, blood loss, altered drug metabolism and a longer hospital stay. “It’s because of a decreased blood flow,” Emerson said. There are several factors that can decrease a patient’s body temperature, one of which is anxiety about having surgery, Diana said. She said wearing a traditional cotton hospital gown could add to a patient’s discomfort because they can be a bit revealing. “That’s the joke — the gown and the bed pan,” Turner said laughing a little. “If we eliminate that idea, it’s one less thing to make people feel anxious.” The material on Bair Paws gowns overlaps, ensuring anyone who wears it won’t feel exposed. The gowns even have a front hand-warming pocket much like a hooded sweatshirt. Environmental Bair Paws gowns are made from biodegradable wood fiber, which has been recycled into fabric. Diana said the more eco-friendly gowns cut back on the hospital’s water and energy usage, even though they are one-time use garments. “It cuts back on the amount of laundry that has to be done,” she said. —————— Andy Goodell can be reached at (641) 782-2141 ext. 242 or agoodell@crestonnews.com