title: Inducing Therapeutic Hypothermia in Cardiac Arrest Caused by Lightning Strike.
abstract: Only limited clinical scenarios are grounds for induction of therapeutic hypothermia. Its use in traumatic cardiac arrests, including those from lightning strikes, is not well studied. Nonshockable cardiac arrest rhythms have only recently been included in resuscitation guidelines. We report a case of full neurological recovery with therapeutic hypothermia after a lightning-induced pulseless electrical activity cardiac arrest in an 18-year-old woman. We also review the important pathophysiology of lightning-induced cardiac arrest and neurologic sequelae, elaborate upon the mechanism of therapeutic hypothermia, and add case-based evidence in favor of the use of targeted temperature management in lightning-induced cardiac arrest.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA(Drs Scantling and Pontell)?>. Electronic address: Dane.Scantling@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scantling
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Critical Care, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA(Drs Scantling and Pontell)?>
authors.forename: Mathew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pontell
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Critical Care, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Medinilla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D008030:Lightning; D015168:Lightning Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: cardiac arrest; critical care; induced hypothermia; lightning; resuscitation; trauma