Cooling the asphyxiated brain - ready for clinical trials?
Recent research using newborn animal models of hypoxia-ischaemia has shown that cooling the subject from 3 to 6 degrees C starting after the insult and lasting up to 72 h offers long-lasting neuroprotection. One concern is that additional stress during hypothermia seems to reduce the beneficial effect. Phase 1 studies on cooling severely asphyxiated infants have not yet revealed any systemic adverse effects.


CONCLUSIONS
The evidence is strongly in favor of hypothermia reducing brain damage after asphyxia and the time has come for undertaking randomized trials.
Thoresen
M
M
St Michael's Hospital, Division of Child Health, University of Bristol, Southwell Street, BS2 8EG Bristol, UK,
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D012756:Sheep
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents