Feasibility and efficacy of a new non-invasive surface cooling device in post-resuscitation intensive care medicine

AIM OF THE STUDY: There is sufficient evidence that therapeutic hypothermia after non-traumatic cardiac arrest improves neurological outcome and reduces mortality. Many different invasive and non-invasive cooling devices are currently available. Our purpose was to show the efficacy, safety and feasibility using a non-invasive cooling device to control patient temperature within a range of 33-37 degrees C.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A convenience sample of patients who have been resuscitated successfully from cardiac arrest and were intended for mild hypothermia therapy according to the guidelines and inclusion criteria were studied in a prospective observational case series at an emergency department of a tertiary care university hospital. The Medivance Arctic Sun System provides a new, non-invasive approach to reach a target temperature of 33 degrees C quickly, to maintain the target temperature for 24h, and then to actively re-warm at 0.4 degrees C/h to normothermia. Cooling was applied using the Arctic Sun in 27 patients. Data are presented as median and the interquartile range (25, 75%).

RESULTS: Median age was 58 (49.5, 70) years. Time from cooling start to target temperature was 137 (96, 168)min, cooling rate was 1.2 degrees C/h (0.8, 1.5), stability of target temperature during hypothermia maintenance phase was satisfactory at 33.0 degrees C (32.9, 33.1), and duration of re-warming was 428 (394, 452)min.

CONCLUSION: Using the Arctic Sun System in post-resuscitation care medicine for cooling cardiac arrest survivors is feasible and has proven to be highly effective in lowering patients' temperature rapidly without inducing skin irritations.