Preliminary clinical outcome study of mild resuscitative hypothermia afterout-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest

The effects of mild hypothermia (MH) were investigated. From 1995 to 1996, 28 adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) had ret urn of spontaneous circulation and survived for more than two days. Thirtee n patients were in the MH group. In the MH group, core temperature was main tained between 33 and 34 degrees C for 48 h, and then re-warmed to a temper ature of 37 degrees C, at a rate of no greater than 1 degrees C per day. Fi fteen patients, admitted before the MH protocol was instituted, were in the control group. Despite the fact that the number of witnessed arrests in th e control group were greater than in the MH group, there were both more sur vivors (7/13 vs. 5/15) and more fully recovered patients (3/13 vs. 1/15) in the MH vs Control groups. Eleven of 13 MH patients, as compared to 6/15 co ntrols developed pneumonia. Our study, although preliminary, suggests that MH might confer Improved outcome, as has been shown in animal models, after CPA. This treatment is associated with an increase in pneumonic complicati ons. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.