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Hypothermia in the management of traumatic brain injury

A systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Objective

Brain injury remains the leading cause of death in cases of trauma in North America and Europe. This article critically appraised and summarised all published and peer-reviewed, randomised, controlled trials of the use of hypothermia in traumatic brain injury.

Design

To be included, a study had to be a published, randomised, controlled trial of the use of hypothermia in the management of traumatic brain injury. Pooling of data and meta-analysis of results occurred.

Setting

Conducted at a tertiary level Canadian teaching hospital.

Patients and participants

Patients were combined from eight randomised, controlled trials to generate a population of 748 severely head-injured patients.

Measurements and results

Eight studies provided data on the efficacy of hypothermia in the management of traumatic brain injury. The pooled odds ratio of mortality in the hypothermic group was 0.81 (95%CI =0.59–1.13, p=0.22). The OR of a poor neurological outcome (GOS 1,2 or 3) was 0.75 (95% CI=0.56–1.01, p=0.06). The odds ratio for pneumonia in the normothermic group was 0.42 (95%CI =0.25–0.70, p=0.001).

Conclusions

Although meta-analysis suggests that iatrogenic hypothermia may confer a marginal benefit in neurological outcome, there does not appear to be clear evidence of lower mortality rates in unselected traumatic brain injury patients. Prolonged hypothermia may confer a benefit, particularly in patients with elevated intracranial pressure refractory to conventional manipulations. Conclusions regarding the use of hypothermia are controversial and not strongly supported by the available evidence.

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Author notes

  1. William R. Henderson

    Present address: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Suite 360 Echelon Building , Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, 855 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9 , Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program of Critical Care Medicine, University of British Columbia , Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    William R. Henderson, Vinay K. Dhingra, Dean R. Chittock, John C. Fenwick & Juan J. Ronco

  2. Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Dean R. Chittock

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  1. William R. Henderson
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  2. Vinay K. Dhingra
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Correspondence to William R. Henderson.

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Henderson, W.R., Dhingra, V.K., Chittock, D.R. et al. Hypothermia in the management of traumatic brain injury. Intensive Care Med 29, 1637–1644 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-003-1848-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-003-1848-2

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