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Evid Based Nurs 2002;5:111 doi:10.1136/ebn.5.4.111
  • Treatment

Mild hypothermia improved neurological outcome and reduced mortality after cardiac arrest because of ventricular fibrillation

(2002) N Engl J Med 346, 549; The Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest Study Group.. Mild therapeutic hypothermia to improve the neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest.. Feb 21;. :. –56.


 
 QUESTION: In patients who are resuscitated after cardiac arrest because of ventricular fibrillation, is mild hypothermia more effective than standard normothermia for improving neurological outcome?

Design

Randomised {allocation concealed}*, blinded {data collectors, clinicians assessing neurological outcome}*, controlled trial with 6 months of follow up.

Setting

9 centres in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, and Italy.

Patients

275 patients seen in the emergency department who were 18–75 years of age (median age 59 y, 76% men) and had spontaneous circulation restored after a witnessed cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation or non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia as the initial cardiac rhythm; a presumed cardiac origin of the arrest; an estimated interval of 5–15 minutes from collapse to the first attempt at resuscitation by emergency medical personnel; and an interval of ≤60 minutes from collapse to restoration of spontaneous circulation. Exclusion criteria included a tympanic membrane temperature <30oC on admission and response …

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