The evidence surrounding the topic of therapeutic hypothermia post cardiac arrest is one lathered in potentially advantageous benefits, as well as harmful side effects. Although this procedure has potentially lifesaving and neurologically preserving implications, it does come with various side effects which can be dangerous in general or if left untreated. This paper will first address the many benefits, some of which include prolongation of life, retention of neurological function. It will then shed light upon some of the subsequent risks and harmful effects that are associated with therapeutic hypothermia. Lastly the paper will discuss why or why not the overall benefits outweigh the aggravating factors. Thus, being a topic of much controversy …show more content…
Such dangers include electrolyte disorders, polyuria, and most common is a high risk of cardiac arrhythmias. If precautions are not taken as the treatment is taking place then these dangers become very immediate and possible threats to the health of the patient. There is also the more obvious possibility of tissue and cell damage due to prolonged exposure to a chilling temperature. Cardiac arrhythmias being the most common problem pose a serious threat to the health of the patient. A cardiac arrhythmia is when the heart begins to beat in an abnormal way, whether it is too fast, slow, or just in an inconsistent pattern. This can cause problems with the circulatory system as blood is unevenly or irregularly distributed to the body, potentially depriving it of oxygen. Although these effects can be avoided through caution and acknowledgment of these risks, if the proper steps are not taken to treat them, the problems mentioned above can become …show more content…
Therapeutic hypothermia can save lives, as well as maintain neurological proficiency. The risks however are ever-present. The possibility of developing a cardiac arrhythmia is very possible. The fact is however that the majority of cardiac arrhythmias do not present immediate or life threatening dangers. It is possible, yet uncommon, for the arrhythmia to pose serious effects on the circulatory system, and therefore seeing as this is the most common problem that s caused by the use of therapeutic hypothermia, when weighed against the possibility of preserving neurological function and or saving a life, the benefits can potentially often outweigh the risks. Though there are other, more serious problems that can arise due to the use of this treatment, they are far less common, and or
Mild hypothermia is generally considered gentle and safe[8] although a minor subset of patients may experience side effects such as infections, coagulation and electrolyte disturbances and potentially life-threatening arrhythmias during post-cardiac arrest care[5].
Purpose: The purpose of this speech is to educate and inform my audience of the risks inherent from unintended hypothermia. I’m eager to alert perioperative staff of the potential dangers as well as the preventative measures that can be taken in order to avoid complications associated with unintended hypothermia. My central idea is hypothermia management saves lives.
He then took samples of urine, blood, and mucous as body temperatures lowered. Through this tortured, Rascher used the data to create the hypothermia treatment called "active rapid rewarming." More than 90 people lost their lives for this medical advancement (Adams).
It is a beneficial treatment that should be implemented as early in patient care as possible, such as, within the EMS system. Through the last century this therapy has been accepted and rejected by many medical professionals. Since medicine is an ever-changing field, future research and practice of hypothermia will dictate if this therapy is more beneficial than harmful, and maybe one day could be a permanent major role, or it may never be used again. Hypothermia has been proved to decrease neurological impairment after cardiac arrest, but also has many limitations that can occur. A major limitation of this therapy is, if continued care cannot be guaranteed by receiving hospitals, therapeutic hypothermia is irrelevant for EMS to initiate. Likewise, if hypothermia is not begun in the field by EMS, then the receiving facilities now will have a delayed time in starting the therapy and anoxic brain injury could have already occurred. EMS agencies can drive the implementation of therapeutic hypothermia in the medical field. This therapy allows EMS providers to have a major role in the outcome of a cardiac arrest patient’s recovery and neurological outcome. With the progression of research and practice, medicine is evolving day after day, and patient mortality and morbidity have decreased over the years. Although, cardiac arrest patients have a poor
This would be a high priority problem that would need immediate care. Blood affects the cardiac function therefore classifying this as a life threatening
hypertension. Therapeutic hypothermia (THT) has been considered an effective method for reducing ischemic injury of the brain due to cardiac arrest. But there are some opponents in the medical community who believe that broadening the scope of THT could be dangerous to patients. Although opponents do not seem to blame THT for adverse patient outcomes; the disagreement seems to be about the variables involved before hospital arrival, amount of time that it takes to administer THT in the ER, which therapies should be administered with THT and the need for more research that tracks adverse events. A study published by The American Journal of Emergency Medicine supports the widely held view that THT is an effective treatment for cardiac arrest
The lack or delay in appropriate treatment for individuals who experience a sudden cardiac arrest has created a major public health disparity. Research into pre-hospital treatment and subsequent implementation has historically seen neglect by the medical and scientific community creating vast differences in survivability of cardiac arrests between demographic groups. In 2010, the American Heart Association and Emergency Cardiovascular Care program developed the 2020 impact goal to reduce death from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20% and double out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival rates (http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/121/4/586#sec-1). This has prompted a massive influx of research into the disparities that exist and an
Markus Thalmann, the cardiac surgeon who saved the little girl from death by drowning in icy water, said that she was not the first hypothermia and suffocation case. However, she was the first one to survive. In her complicated rescue they tried to follow a checklist that stats that in such a case, a rescue team was required to tell the hospital to prepare for possible cardiac bypass and rewarming. So, what was so effective about this approach is that by the time the patient gets to the hospital, everything is ready and standing by. These kinds of cases are time sensitive. In such complicated cases, success requires having a huge number of equipment and people at the ready. So, even small simple checklist could help in complicated rescues and even bring people to life
These procedures are not reported alone but as add-on codes used to identify extraordinary conditions of patients and their unusual risk factors. There are four kinds of certain codes used for particular circumstances which are: 1) Anesthesia for the age younger than one year and over the age of seventy (99100), 2) Anesthesia complicated by the utilization of total body hypothermia (99116), 3) Anesthesia complicated by the utilization of controlled hypotension (99135) and 4)Anesthesia complicated by emergency circumstances
This paper will be going over a scenario involving a real patient and what things could have been different with EMS care. It will also be covering what exactly cardiac arrest is and what rhythms produce it. And for every cardiac rhythm in cardiac arrest, there is a specific treatment plan paramedics can follow.
A young professional hockey player collapsed during a game that had no previous symptoms or problems before the collapse. People began CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) 3 times before paramedics arrived. This ultimately prevented him from dying from sudden cardiac arrest. He received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator to correct his heart rhythms and was released without medications.
The Author will firstly discuss why the ‘Vital Signs’ would be; followed by both the immediate treatment that should be given and the intervention needed from more advanced medical personnel.
d) Cardiac Arrest: Cardiac arrest happens when the heart stops functioning correctly. During cardiac arrest, “blood flow ceases, organs begin to shut down, resulting in the person dying.” When people have this identified at an early time, it can prevent damage to body organ and death.
Hypothermia is a common problem in surgical patients. Up to 70% of patients experience some degree of hypothermia that is undergoing anesthetic surgery. Complications include but are not limited to wound infections, myocardial ischemia, and greater oxygen demands. The formal definition of hypothermia is when the patient’s core body temperature drops below 36 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, the purpose of the paper is to synthesize what studies reveal about the current state of knowledge on the effects of pre-operative warming of patient’s postoperative temperatures. I will discuss consistencies and contradictions in the literature, and offer possible explanations for the inconsistencies.
Aside from these benefits, cryotherapy is also known to carry a few side effects that are not so dangerous such as scarring and mild skin irritation. The only major concern is that the nearby areas of the skin that are healthy may become