Figure 1. Mean and standard error of the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) entry and readiness-to-discharge temperatures for the forced-air warming (FAW) and routine thermcal care (RTC) cohorts. Patients in the FAW group entered the PACU warm (36.8 +/- 0.1 [degree sign] Celsius) and remained warm (36.7 +/- 0.1 [degree sign] Celsius). Patients in the RTC group entered the PACU at a significantly lower temperature than the FAW group (35.5 +/- 0.1 [degree sign] Celsius) and were discharged at a significantly higher temperature than at entry (36.2 +/- 0.1 [degree sign] Celsius; P < 0.01), which was also significantly lower than the discharge temperature in the FAW group (P < 0.01). Importantly, the temperatures of some of the patients (10 of 45) in the RTC group remained < 35.5 [degree sign]C even when they were ready for discharge.