Therapeutic hypothermia for cardiac arrest: a practical approach.

Abstract

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH), which prevents and ameliorates the cascade of secondary neurologic injury after the return of spontaneous circulation, is the most effective neuroprotective therapy for encephalopathic survivors of cardiac arrest. Acute management of patients with severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy requires rapid and well-coordinated efforts involving emergency medicine, neurology, cardiology, critical care medicine, and palliative care. This effort is complex, and broad implementation of TH has been slow in the United States and Europe. This review summarizes recent developments in the practical application of TH, reviews the role of the neurologist, and suggests an algorithm for coordination of care of cardiac arrest survivors by physicians of divergent subspecialties, with the goals of maximizing neurologic and cardiac recovery.

• Authors: David B Seder, Salam Jarrah
• Journal: Current neurology and neuroscience reports (Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep) Vol. 8 Issue 6 Pg. 508-17 (Nov 2008) ISSN: 1534-6293 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 18957189 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Topics

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Emergency Medicine
• Heart Arrest (complications, therapy)
• Humans
• Hypothermia, Induced (adverse effects, methods)
• Rewarming (adverse effects, methods)
• Treatment Outcome