Inspiring heated and humidified air is a fairly effective internal-warming technique currently being used with intubated patients (those having a breathing tube in the trachea). However, delivery of heated and humidified air by mask or tent to nonintubated patients is not acceptable in postoperative situations, because, ask or tent delivery would interfere with observation and communication and, in the case of a tent, might vantage, since the vast majority of postoperative patients are not intubated.