THERAPEUTIC HYPOTHERMIA

Several publications demonstrate that therapeutic hypothermia improves both survival rates and neurological outcome after cardiac arrest¹ˉ³ and since then various international organisations have introduced therapeutic hypothermia into their guidelines.

ILCOR recommendations

On the basis of the published evidence to date, the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Task Force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) made the following recommendations in October 2002:

"Unconscious adult patients with spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest should be cooled to 32-34°C for 12-24 h when the initial rhythm was ventricular fibrillation (VF). Such cooling may also be beneficial for other rhythms or in-hospital cardiac arrest."

1. Mild therapeutic hypothermia to improve the neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest. N Engl J Med 2002; 346:549-556>

2. Hachimi-Idrissi S, Corne L, Ebinger G, et al: Mild hypothermia induced by a helmet device: a clinical feasibility study. Resuscitation 2001; 51:275-281

3. Bernard SA, Gray TW, Buist MD, et al: Treatment of comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with induced hypothermia. N Engl J Med 2002; 346:557-563