Final answer:
To prevent hypothermia in a surgical patient, the room temperature should be maintained between 68.0°F and 78.0°F to facilitate normal metabolic function and reduce the risk of unintended hypothermia.
Step-by-step explanation:
To help prevent hypothermia in the surgical patient, the room temperature should be maintained between 68.0°F (20°C) in the winter and 78.0°F (25.6°C) in the summer. It's important to control room temperature during surgery because it affects the body's metabolic rate and the patient's risk for hypothermia, especially when controlled hypothermia is clinically induced to reduce metabolic rates during procedures such as open-heart surgery. The typical human core body temperature should be maintained, and if hypothermia is a concern, the temperature should not fall below 34.4 degrees C (94 degrees F), which is dangerously low. In the context of the surgical room, however, to prevent uncontrolled hypothermia, regulating room temperature within the specified range is a crucial part of patient care.