The Affects of Therapeutic Hyperthermia, Essay Example

The Affects of Therapeutic Hyperthermia on Neuroprotecion in Cardiac Arrest Patients Schwartz, B., Klomer, R., Thomas, J., Bui, Q., Mayeda, G., Burstein, S., . . . French, W. (2012). Therapeutic Hypothermia for Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiac Arrest. The American Journal of Cardiology, 110(3), 461-466.

The authors, who are doctors and researchers from the Good Samaritan Hospital, the University of Southern California, and the UCLA Medical Center, based their research on recent successful experiments on animals regarding the benefits of using therapeutic hyperthermia (TH) to protect the heart against acute infraction. By examining 2 randomized trials composed of resuscitated patients who experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the researchers hoped to find the advantages and disadvantages of TH. Both trials measured the effectiveness of using TH on protecting neurological function post cardiac arrest. The first trial, made up of 273 patients, found that TH increased the 6-month survival outcomes (55% vs 41%) and provided favorable neurological recovery (55% vs 39%). The second trial, made up of 77 patients, found that the TH group had more favorable neurologic outcomes (49% vs 26%). They also found hospitals that implemented TH rapidly had greater neuroprotection in patients and therefore timing is the biggest decider of effectiveness. The researcher’s findings are consistent with previous animal studies that measured the effectiveness of TH on reducing heart infractions. However, there does need to be more research surrounding the use of TH to find more efficient ways to ensure neurological protection and survival. This thorough analysis of the benefits and issues regarding the use of TH provides support for this relatively new practice, which tries to preserve neurologic function and survival after cardiac arrest.