Did you know that out-of-hospital cardiac arrests claim 225,000 lives each year in the United States alone, and a similar number in Europe, accounting for about half of all deaths due to cardiovascular ailment?
What is therapeutic hypothermia and how does it protect against cardiac arrest?
Therapeutic hypothermia is also known as targeted temperature management or protective hypothermia is an active treatment that involves keeping the body temperature of a person in check for a specific duration of time. This therapy is generally administered to improve health outcomes during recovery after a period of stopped blood flow to the brain.
Cardiac arrest is a condition when the heart suddenly stops beating and hence the blood flow to different organs of the body including the brain, stops. The lack of blood flow can cause lasting damage to the brain which is the reason why many people don’t regain their consciousness. Lowering the body temperature right away after cardiac arrest can reduce damage to the brain and raises the chances of the person’s recovery.