title: Improving neurological outcome after cardiac arrest: Therapeutic hypothermia the best treatment.
abstract: Cardiac arrest, irrespective of its etiology, has a high mortality. This event is often associated with brain anoxia which frequently causes severe neurological damage and persistent vegetative state. Only one out of every six patients survives to discharge following in-hospital cardiac arrest, whereas only 2-9% of patients who experience out of hospital cardiac arrest survive to go home. Functional outcomes of survival are variable, but poor quality survival is common, with only 3-7% able to return to their previous level of functioning. Therapeutic hypothermia is an important tool for the treatment of post-anoxic coma after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It has been shown to reduce mortality and has improved neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest. Nevertheless, hypothermia is underused in critical care units. This manuscript aims to review the mechanism of hypothermia in cardiac arrest survivors and to propose a simple protocol, feasible to be implemented in any critical care unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Teerthankar Mahaveer Medical College, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Suchitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Teerthankar Mahaveer Medical College, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Satyavir S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dhama
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Teerthankar Mahaveer Medical College, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Mohinder
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Teerthankar Mahaveer Medical College, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jain
keywords: Cardiac arrest; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; hypothermia; therapeutic