title: Practical pharmacologic aspects of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest.
abstract: Abstract Therapeutic hypothermia has emerged as an effective means of improving neurologic outcomes among cardiac arrest survivors. To achieve optimal results, clinicians must understand and anticipate potential adverse effects of cooling and provide rigorous monitoring and/or pharmacologic interventions as appropriate. Using pharmacotherapy to counter adverse effects of cooling or to treat an intrinsic process under hypothermic conditions requires understanding how hypothermia will influence the clinical effects of the drug, including the drug's pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The pharmacologic aspects of therapeutic hypothermia in relation to physiology and adverse effects are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. parpino@partners.org
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Arpino
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Greer
mesh_terms: D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment