Therapeutic Hypothermia after Cardiac Arrest

Abstract

The results of two studies reported in the Journal (Feb. 21 issue)^1,2 suggest that therapeutic hypothermia has a beneficial effect on neurologic outcome in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The authors of the accompanying editorial³ support the conclusions of these studies and firmly recommend the use of hypothermia for at least 12 hours after cardiac arrest. Before this complex intervention becomes accepted as standard therapy, a closer examination of these studies is warranted.