ESOPHAGEAL TEMPERATURE MONITORING

The Physiology of Temperature Control Under normal conditions, the temperature of the body is controlled within 0.4°C of its set-point (37°C), a condition necessary to maintain the vital cellular metabolic processes. The control center for temperature is located within the hypothalamus and operates via a negative feed back mechanism. This system may be susceptible to the action of certain pharmacological agents, in particular, inhalational and intravenous anesthetic agents1. Afferent warm and cold thermal massages are relayed from thermally sensitive cells located throughout the body, principally the skin, brain, spinal cord and certain central core tissues. The coldinformation is transmitted via A- delta fibers and warm influx via unmyelinated C- fibers which are also responsible for transmission of pain sensation. This explains why intense thermogenic stimulation cannot be differentiated from sharp pain