title: Effects of induced hypothermia in patients with septic adult respiratory distress syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that treatment with hypothermia affects the course of overwhelming acute respiratory failure associated with sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concurrent-controlled, prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult multidisciplinary ICU in a teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen consecutive patients with septic ARDS mechanically ventilated and a P(A-a)O2 > 500 Torr during 36 h on > or = 10 cm H2O of PEEP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were assigned to receive conventional treatment (n = 10) or conventional treatment plus mild hypothermia (32-35 degrees C) instituted as a last resort (n = 9).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypothermia (33.7 +/- 0.6 degrees C) was associated with a reduction in mortality rate (67% vs. 100%, P < 0.05), P(A-a)O2 (P < 0.001), heart rate (P < 0.001), cardiac index (P < 0.01), and QS/QT (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in oxygen consumption (VO2) before (243 +/- 74 ml/min) and during treatment with hypothermia (246 +/- 87 ml/min) although O2 extraction increased during hypothermia (26 +/- 6 vs. 30 +/- 6%, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that hypothermia was effective in improving oxygenation and survival in patients with severe ARDS associated with sepsis, even though VO2 was unchanged.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital del Pino, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villar
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Slutsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003422:Critical Care; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality