Complete neurological recovery following delayed initiation of hypothermia in a victim of warm water near-drowning.
Induced hypothermia has been demonstrated to improve outcome following cardiac arrest and is now widely endorsed. However, the optimal method of cooling and the identification of patients most likely to benefit from this therapy remains to be determined. We report a patient in whom there was a long delay in return of spontaneous circulation (at least 45 min) and the initiation of induced hypothermia (12 h) who made an almost complete neurological recovery following cardiac arrest from warm-water near-drowning.
Varon
Joseph
J
The University of Texas Health Science Center, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, 2219 Dorrington Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Joseph.Varon@uth.tmc.edu
Marik
Paul E
PE
D004569:Electroencephalography; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015701:Near Drowning / Q000150:complications*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*