Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest

Abstract

Prognosis following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is generally poor, which is mostly due to the severity of neuronal damage. Recently, the use of therapeutic hypothermia has gradually occupied an important role in managing neuronal injuries in some cases of cardiac arrests. Some of the clinical trials conducted in comatose post-resuscitation cardiac arrest patients within the last decade have shown induced hypothermia to be effective in facilitating neuronal function recovery. This method has since been adopted in a number of guidelines and protocols as the standard method of treatment in carefully selected patient groups. Patient inclusion criteria ensure that hypothermia-associated complications are kept to a minimum while at the same time maximizing the treatment benefits. In the present work, we have examined different aspects in the use of therapeutic hypothermia as a means of managing comatose patients following cardiac arrest.

Keywords

• Cardiac arrest; Cooling; Hypothermia; Outcome; Ventricular fibrillation