Patient warming devices are regularly used in medical settings to help patients tolerate the sudden loss of their body heat suffering from hypothermia

 

Patient warming devices are used to raise the body temperature of a patient to reduce the core body temperature that may have fallen below the critical point of viability thereby enabling them to recover more rapidly and in a much more optimal way. The most common of these devices is a Bed Warmr or Bed Warm Efficient Device. Another such device, the Patient Warming vest, is worn by patients to raise their body temperatures by as much as 10 degrees above the normal rate. Both devices are very effective and give excellent comfort, but can be particularly useful for people who are bed-ridden and unable to move about.

A patient warming devices like a Bed Warmr works on the principle of introducing extra blood into the body to bring up its temperature. These warmers incorporate a heating element attached to a disposable pad that is placed over the abdomen. The pad is usually covered with a waterproof liner which prevents the heat generated by the heating mechanism from escaping. Once the temperature is brought up to the patient's desired level, it is removed and the pad is removed and discarded. The bedside table that the Patient Warming Device is fitting to be then left alone until the next patient arrives.

Another type of the patient warming devices includes the unidirectional pressure transducer (UVP) system that is capable of providing forced-air warming, by inducing positive pressure underneath the skin to increase the warmness of the surface area of the skin. These devices are commonly used in surgical operations where a direct line of communication between the surgical site and the cryoablast (the ultra-lightweight, pressure-sensitive freezer used to cool down the operating area) is difficult to establish.