The effects of warmed carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum nursing care on core body temperature, acid-base balance, and lymphocytes in older patients with cancer in Korea: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of warmed carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum nursing care on core body temperature, acid–base balance, and lymphocyte levels in older patients with cancer undergoing laparoscopic surgery.Methods: A total of 55 patients with colorectal cancer were prospectively randomized and analyzed, including 29 in the intraperitoneal CO₂ gas heating group and 26 in the non-heating group. Data were analyzed using the t-test, chi-square test, and repeated-measures analysis of variance.Results: Significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in body temperature (F = 2.47, p = .010), acid–base balance (F = 2.39, p = .015), and lymphocyte percentage (F = 4.45, p = .002) during laparoscopic surgery.Conclusion: Warmed carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum was more effective in preventing intraoperative hypothermia induced by general anesthesia than non-heated gas. These findings suggest that this intervention may be beneficial for older patients with cancer undergoing laparoscopic surgery.