Safety and efficacy of a novel intravascular cooling device to control body temperature in neurologic intensive care patients: A prospective pilot study*

Abstract

To determine the safety and efficacy of a novel intravascular cooling device (Cool Line catheter with Cool Gard system) to control body temperature (temperature goal 37.9 degrees C) within 24 hrs after termination of the cooling study. One awake patient (subarachnoid hemorrhage, Glasgow Coma Scale score 15) experienced mild to moderate shivering throughout the entire period of 7 days. The mortality rate was 23.5%. This novel intravascular cooling device (Cool Line catheter and Cool Gard cooling device) was highly efficacious in prophylactically controlling the body temperature of neurologic intensive care patients with very severe intracranial disease (median Glasgow Coma Scale score, 3-15). Morbidity and mortality rates were consistent with the ranges reported in the literature for such neurologic intensive patients.