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Therapeutic Hypothermia after Peri-Interventional In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Abstract
Background: Therapeutic hypothermia is recommended by international guidelines for patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) due to ventricular fibrillation. However, data for patients after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) are still scarce. Guidelines leave it to the attending physician to decide on the use of hypothermia in IHCA patients.
Objective: To determine the use of therapeutic hypothermia in-hospital cardiac arrest.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Setting: University Hospital of colgne, intensive care units.
Subjects: Seven patients admitted to the intensive care unit after peri-interventional IHCA between January and December 2009.
Interventions: Therapeutic hypothermia was initiated in all patients with a median delay of five hours.
Results: Four out of seven patients (57 %) survived cardiac arrest, but one of these later died due to her primary cause of hospitalisation. The other three patients were discharged without neurological sequelae. There were no serious adverse effects of therapeutic hypothermia.
Conclusion: Therapeutic hypothermia after peri-interventional IHCA IHCA is safe and might benefit the patient. This treatment strategy should be taken into consideration until further data are available.
Objective: To determine the use of therapeutic hypothermia in-hospital cardiac arrest.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Setting: University Hospital of colgne, intensive care units.
Subjects: Seven patients admitted to the intensive care unit after peri-interventional IHCA between January and December 2009.
Interventions: Therapeutic hypothermia was initiated in all patients with a median delay of five hours.
Results: Four out of seven patients (57 %) survived cardiac arrest, but one of these later died due to her primary cause of hospitalisation. The other three patients were discharged without neurological sequelae. There were no serious adverse effects of therapeutic hypothermia.
Conclusion: Therapeutic hypothermia after peri-interventional IHCA IHCA is safe and might benefit the patient. This treatment strategy should be taken into consideration until further data are available.
