Final answer:
Children have a higher surface area to weight ratio, causing them to lose heat more quickly under general anesthesia. Therefore, pediatric operating rooms should be warmed and intraoperative warming devices used routinely.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which statement regarding children's body temperature under general anesthesia is true. The correct answer is E) B and C only. Children do have a higher surface area to weight ratio and thus their temperature decreases more quickly than adults. As a result, it is recommended that pediatric ORs should be warmed and intraoperative warming devices should be used routinely to prevent hypothermia, which can be a dangerous decrease in core body temperature below 34.4 degrees C (94 degrees F). Smaller organisms, including children, do indeed lose heat at a faster rate than larger organisms because they have a greater surface area relative to their mass.