Number needed to treat = six: therapeutic hypothermia following cardiac arrest--an effective and cheap approach to save lives.
In 2005, the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) guidelines stated: Unconscious adult patients with spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest should be cooled to 32 to 34 degrees C for 12 to 24 hours. Patients with cardiac arrest from a non-shockable rhythm, in-hospital patients and children may also benefit from hypothermia. There is no argument to wait. We have to treat the next unconscious cardiac arrest patient with hypothermia.
Böttiger
Bernd W
BW
Schneider
Andreas
A
Popp
Erik
E
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards