Warm Blankets Offer More Than Just Comfort
One of the most basic yet beneficial ways to offer great patient care before or after a medical or imaging procedure is to offer a warm blanket. It sounds simple but covering a patient with a heated blanket can make a huge difference to a patient, both immediate and long-term. In addition to reducing anxiety and providing comfort, maintaining a patient's core temperature has great benefits too!
Benefits of Blanket Warming
Hypothermia is defined as any decrease in the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees. It is one of the more common complications that is experienced by patients during or immediately following a procedure. Hypothermia can contribute to morbid cardiac events, patient discomfort, a decrease in the metabolism of drugs, coagulation difficulties, and the risk of surgical site infections. By covering patients with a warm blanket, you greatly reduce the likelihood of hypothermia and help eliminate these complications. Patients who are given a warm blanket experienced reduced intraoperative bleeding, saw faster recovery times and encountered decreased incidences of tachycardia and hypertension.
Vital to Patient Care and Anxiety
As you can see from the lists above, giving a patient a warmed blanket isn't just a way to make them a bit warmer, but it prevents a variety of complications and helps with a faster recovery. This is especially true for both old and young patients as one of the most Important Benefits is that of reduced anxiety. Providing a patient with comfort and peace of mind is a top priority for healthcare workers and has been shown to provide significant benefits in terms of patient recovery and decreased anxiety.
A good blanket warming unit is a key part of patient care protocols. Z&Z Medical offers several blanket warmers to meet a variety of needs. We have commercial grade Blanket Warmers that are perfect for Radiology departments, Interventional suites, ER & OR's, Mammography, Ultrasound, Outpatient Clinics, and Surgery Centers. The patient-friendly design allows you to put these aesthetically pleasing units right where they are needed, allowing nurses and aides to maximize their time. Place more emphasis on comfort, care and patient safety with the relaxing, blue lights inside the warmers that soften the patient’s room
We also offer larger stainless steel Blanket Warmers that employ the use of high end heating coils and easy to see control displays. You can rest assured that the blanket will be warmed to exactly the right temperature for your patient. They come in a wide variety of sizes to meet any blanket warmer needs.
We are especially happy to offer the RX Warmth Blanket Warmers. These Portable Blanket Warmers are made ofdurable 600 denier nylon with Dupont Thermoloft insulation that maintains a safe and consistent temperature in any setting. They operate on a 12 volt DC or 110 volt AC with optional AC power supply. Perfect for EMS, Nursing Homes, smaller healthcare facilities, or anywhere a warm blanket is needed.
So many post-procedural complications and patient anxieties can be avoided by simply using warm blankets. Let your patients know that you're there to take care of their needs and do your part to provide the best patient care available. Take a few moments to browse the wide selection of blanket warmers that we have to offer at www.zzmedical.com
Importance of Blanket Warmers
Blanket warming cabinets help provide better patient care on many levels. They provide a safer and easier method to reduce the physical and psychological stresses of invasive procedures and reduce patient anxiety through the use of warm blankets.
Physical Benefits of Blanket Warmers
Pre-warming the patient is vitally important before entering surgery or an interventional procedure. General anesthesia can often cause shivering and body temperature levels to drop, making a warm blanket essential to patients for any type of procedure requiring anesthesia to prevent hypothermia. Sometimes the body temperature decreases further during interventional procedures. Sometimes a warm blanket can remain on the patient and maintain a warmer body temperature throughout surgery. If this temperature drop is not maintained, it can lead to post-procedure complications such as peri-hypothermia, prolonged hospitalization and recovery, and an increase in the risk for infection. Hypothermia is very preventable; yet, it is one of the most common complications from surgery and interventional procedures.
Psychological Benefits of Blanket Warmers
By pre-warming blankets for your patients, you are benefiting them psychologically as well when prepping them for procedures. Hospitals and imaging centers can often be a stressful and intimidating experience, causing physical reactions in the patient, such as shivering. A warm blanket reduces the patient’s shivering and replaces it with a larger sense of comfort and protection. Along with the physical feeling of calm, it is also reassuring to the patient that the healthcare staff genuinely care about their well-being. When a staff member takes out a soothing, warm blanket from a commercial blanket warmer and places it on the patient, he or she is reassured of their genuine concern.
Does Your Facility Need a Blanket Warming Cabinet?
When choosing the right warming cabinet for your facility, you’ll need to take a few factors into consideration such as your volume of patients, the available space in your facility, and how quickly you’ll need your blankets warmed. Once you know those factors you can begin to decide which size blanket warmer you need. Z&Z Medical offers a wide variety of blanket warmers for your needs.