Therapeutic Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest

Despite the publication of two randomized controlled trials of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest showing a clear benefit in neurologic outcome and mortality nearly a decade ago, the use of therapeutic hypothermia after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation remains low. This lag in converting clinical research into practice is likely due in part to a lack of familiarity with a relatively new technology and the need for many providers in the chain of care to understand and feel comfortable with its application, from doctors and nurses in the emergency room, to those in the catheterization laboratory, and ultimately to the staff of the intensive care unit. This review summarizes the physiologic consequences of hypothermia as well as the current literature demonstrating the benefit of hypothermia on select patient populations and the impact of hypothermia on outcome assessment after cardiac arrest.