Therapeutic hypothermia

Introduction Hypothermia protocol for the post cardiac arrest patient has been an evidence based practice of this therapy for about a decade now. This intervention, often used in the critical care setting, is now expanding to primary emergency responders as well. This paper will present some of the notable research that has been done on therapeutic hypothermia, and current use of this intervention. Control studies, animal studies, and case studies have been published related to these medical

When is the best time to start cooling? Basically, the treatment of therapeutic hypothermia can be separated into three parts: induction, maintenance and rewarming (Walters et al., 2011). The process of hypothermia induction if often questioned. Is there an optimal time to begin mild therapeutic hypothermia that brings the most benefit? The data from the past experiments suggest that mild therapeutic hypothermia should be commenced within a short time from clinical comprehensive evaluation that suggests

The American Heart Association (2011) states that, "Therapeutic hypothermia is the only intervention demonstrated to improve neurologic recovery after cardiac arrest" (Pp 77). Recommendations range between 32 and 36 degrees centigrade for 12 to 36 hours. Cooling may be achieved through either introduction of cooled

Development of Therapeutic Hypothermia The importance of temperature management in the treatment of individuals afflicted by various medical ailments has been known for centuries with one of the earliest instances of this knowledge being recorded in the height of the Greek’s classical period. Hippocrates, a Greek physician commonly known as the father in medicine, was the first to describe the medical condition of hypothermia and note the importance of temperature in regards to some medical conditions

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

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

surgery. Within the last 10 years, the benefits of induced therapeutic hypothermia have been rediscovered, mainly with the improvement in neurological outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) victims. In addition, therapeutic hypothermia has been suggested to improve outcome in other neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, neonatal asphyxia, cerebrovascular accidents and intracranial

As told, therapeutic hypothermia is a process which is used by doctors to help reduce damage to patient’s body and brain function after a cardiac arrest, which commonly knows as a stroke. Cardiac arrest can be sudden and deadly to people. Cardiac arrest is often caused by ventricular fibrillation, where patient’s heart experience rapid and sudden impulse. In result, patient’s heart is not beating hard enough and can’t pump enough blood to other organs and result organ failure. Particularly to patient’s

management in cardiac arrest patients who are treated with therapeutic hypothermia. The article authored by a both registerd nurses and medical doctors open by reviewing the benefits of therapeutic hypothermia. The article reviews two randomized controlled trials that showed that therapeutic hypothermia when compared to no intervention correlated with improved neurological survival in patients after cardiac arrest. Therapeutic hypothermia has a direct relation to patient survival with intact neurologic

Does Therapeutic Hypothermia Decrease Mortality in the Post Cardiac Arrest Patient? In the United States out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a common occurrence among adults. In 2013, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), 359,400 individuals suffered from OHCA with an overall survival rate of 9.5% (AHA, 2014). Even with rapid chain-of-survival initiation, (i.e. immediate recognition of cardiac arrest, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), early defibrillation, effective