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The Hot Dog warming unit is one of the newest contenders in the battle against hypothermia in the anesthetized patient. So how does it measure up?

While there have been limited clinical trials, a study out of Iowa State University indicates that two Hot Dog blankets used together are significantly more effective in preventing and treating hypothermia than a combination of a Bair Hugger and a circulating warm water blanket in 28 clinical orthopedic cases. The unit consists of a control box and a flexible, vinyl conductive blanket (available in several sizes) connected by a cable. A series of straps attached to the blanket may be secured around a patient to maximize contact with the patient. The cord and blanket conduct 12 volts, so, although it will damage the unit, the patient will not be harmed if it punctures the cord or blanket. This also greatly reduces the risk of thermal injury in the event of malfunction, compared to other electric heat sources. Electric heating pads that are sold for home use are usually wire coils covered in plastic. Unlike most heating pads, the Hot Dog is a conductive polymer which is not radiopaque making it ideal for use in fluoroscopy, provided the stitching along the edges of the blanket are not over the areas of interest. The blanket only heats on one side, directing all the heat to the patient, not the surgery table. The sides are color coded (black to the patient, purple to the environment) to ensure proper placement. The unit is silent and the narrow cord allows complete closure of Shoreline kennel doors without modification or adaptors. The blanket is not disposable but is submersible for easy cleaning. Disposable paper barrier sleeves are also available. Since the Hot Dog works by conduction, there is no airflow created by the unit in the operation room. The connection point on the front of the control box is a weak point and is easily damaged if the blanket is jerked away from the unit.

Overall, the Hot Dog seems like it may prove to be a cost effective way of maintaining patient body temperature with minimal disposable parts and minimal risk of thermal damage to the patient, although the control box cannot withstand as much abuse as some of the older warming systems.

Augustine Biomedical + Design
866-484-3505
www.hotdogwarming.com/vet

The SAV2500 ventilator has multiple features which make it ideally suited to the small animal hospital anesthesia department. The ventilator is small in design, measuring approximately 21cm wide x 28 cm high x 27 cm in length. It can be mounted to your anesthesia machine or placed on a roller stand to allow for the ventilator to be moved easily to different areas of the hospital.

The ventilator unit is comprised of two main parts. The small rectangular base houses the control knobs on the front, the oxygen/air supply and waste gas connections on the back and the mounting assembly on the bottom. The second part is the bellows assembly which is attached to the top of the base unit. There are two sizes of bellows available for this product. A 3 liter "foal" size bellows is very practical for patients weighing 15 kg and up. A pediatric bellows which can be purchased separately, can deliver volumes from about 50 mls to 300 mls/breath. This size is suitable for patients under 15 kg. The bellows are easily interchanged without the need for tools or a lot of technical training. Once the bellows has been assembled there are only 4 connections needed to make the unit operational. The power cord should be plugged in to a standard 120 volt socket. The scavenger/out and oxygen supply/in hoses attach to the back of the unit. Lastly a yellow corrugated tube connects the unit to the anesthesia machine on the reservoir bag attachment arm.

The ventilator controls on the front of the unit are very user friendly. There is an on/off switch for turning on the power to the ventilator. An inspiratory flow knob for controlling the volume of air delivered to the patient. A breath-per-minute knob increases or decreases the number of breaths with a range of 4 - 40 BPM. The length of the inspiratory cycle can be adjusted with the third knob aptly called the inspiratory time control. On the back of the unit base is a pneumatic manual breath button. This can be used in case of electrical power failure or during transport to provide breaths to the patient without having the unit plugged into an electrical socket.

According to the manufacturer, the SAV2500 is one of the safest ventilators on the market for small animal anesthesia because of the built-in external pressure relief control. This control knob is located on the side of the unit and can be adjusted to relieve excess pressure within the circuit from 30 cm of H2O to 60 cm of H2O. Thus if the machine has been accidentally set to deliver too large a tidal volume, extra pressure created in the circuit will be expressed through the pressure relief valve, preventing possible trauma to the patient's lungs.

With just four simple connections and a portable design the SAV2500 can be moved within minutes to many different locations in the hospital from the operating room to the treatment area. The simple controls and built in safety features make it easy to train new employees on the ventilator operation. More detailed information can be obtained from SurgiVet at 1-888-745-6562 (U.S. only) or (262) 516-8500. You may also find information at the website www.surgivet.com.