Therapeutic Hypothermia Research Review

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A more recent, 2009 study by Castren (2009) Scandinavian clinical practice guidelines for therapeutic hypothermia and post-resuscitation care after cardiac arrest found the TH technique ineffective because even experienced physicians were unaware of optimal target temperature, duration of cooling and rewarming time and were only able to predict the clinical outcome correctly in only 52% of the patients (Castren 2009: 280). Supporters of the therapy admit that a lack of knowledge and training has made widespread implementation of TH problematic. In one Canadian study by Kenneday, J. et al. (2010),The use of induced hypothermia after cardiac arrest: a survey of Canadian emergency physicians, only one half of Canadian physicians were found to have used TH in practice. Poor training rather than ineffectiveness of the technique was blamed
Controversy regarding the effectiveness of TH in regarding brain injuries is even more controversial. A study by Marion, et al. (1997) Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury with moderate hypothermia of 82 patients concluded, based upon neurological recovery rates of 82 patients with similar injuries that hypothermia may limits metabolic processes that can exacerbate TBI. But a 2010 study of stroke patients by Hemmen, Intravenous thrombolysis plus hypothermia for acute treatment of ischemic stroke…

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