Therapeutic Hypothermia after Cardiac Arrest

Abstract

In this issue of the Journal, the reported results of two randomized clinical trials, one in Australia¹ and the other in Europe,² showed a neurologic benefit of mild therapeutic hypothermia (33°C in the first study and 32°C to 34°C in the second) in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.³ In the Australian study, which involved a total of 77 patients who remained comatose after the restoration of spontaneous circulation, 49 percent of those treated with hypothermia were discharged home or to a rehabilitation facility, as compared with 26 percent of those not treated with hypothermia (P=0.046).¹ There were no significant differences . . .