title: External cardiac defibrillation during wet-surface cooling in pigs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  During surface cooling with ice-cold water, safety and effectiveness of transthoracic defibrillation was assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a pig ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest model, once (n = 6), defibrillation was done first in a dry and then in a wet condition using the ThermoSuit System (Life Recovery Systems, HD, LLC, Kinnelon, NJ), which circulates a thin layer of ice-cold water (approximately 4 degrees C) over the skin surface. Another time (n = 6), defibrillation was done first in a wet and then in a dry condition. Success of defibrillation was defined as restoration of spontaneous circulation, and the current and voltage of the defibrillation signal was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a tendency toward less number of shocks needed for achieving restoration of spontaneous circulation in the wet condition as compared with the number of shocks needed in the dry condition. The energy delivered in both dry and wet conditions was 144 +/- 3 J.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transthoracic defibrillation is safe and effective in a wet condition after cooling with ice-cold water.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schratter
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weihs
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holzer
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janata
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Behringer
authors.forename: Udo M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Losert
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ohley
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Schock
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sterz
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D013499:Surface Properties; D013552:Swine; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000628:therapy*; D014867:Water / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014867:Water