title: Success rates and procedure times of oesophageal temperature probe insertion for therapeutic hypothermia treatment of cardiac arrest according to insertion methods in the emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Therapeutic hypothermia has become the standard treatment for unconscious patients in cardiac arrest. Although various body parts, including the oesophagus, rectum, bladder and tympanum, can be used for measurement of the core temperature, the oesophageal temperature is preferred because of its accuracy and stability. We first investigated the success rate and procedure time of oesophageal temperature probe (ETP) insertion according to the insertion method.
  
  
  METHODS
  The conventional method involved blind insertion through nasal orifices. The alternative method was insertion with Magill's forceps or long forceps under visualisation using a direct laryngoscope. The new method was performed as follows: (1) insertion of another endotracheal tube (ETT) orally into the oesophagus; (2) insertion of a temperature probe into the hole of the ETT; (3) removal of the ETT. To compare the success rates and procedure times according to the insertion method, we collected data retrospectively from the prospective Samsung Medical Centre hypothermia database and medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 91 cases were examined. Insertion was performed using the conventional method in 36 cases, the alternative method in 26, and the new method in 29. Rates of success on the first attempt were 63.9%, 65.4% and 100%, and procedure times were 33.2 ± 13.6, 33.3 ± 17.8 and 27.0 ± 7.9 min, for the conventional, alternative and new methods, respectively. The initial success rates and procedure times were significantly different among the three groups (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new ETP insertion method had a better first attempt success rate than the conventional method and the alternative method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, , Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Uh-Hyun
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Tae Rim
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mun Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Tae Gun
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Min Seob
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Ik Joon
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Keun Jeong
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yeon Kwon
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004947:Esophagus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors