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Article: Stock your emergency department with ice packs: a practical guide to therapeutic hypothermia for survivors of cardiac arrest
- Article from:
- Canadian Medical Association. Journal
- Article date:
- March 13, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Canadian Medical Association Mar 13, 2007. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Prognosis after cardiac arrest is dismal, with an overall survival rate of less than 6%. Outcomes vary with cardiac arrest rhythm: less than 2% of patients with asystolic or pulseless electrical activity survive, compared with up to 33% of patients with ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Advanced cardiac life-support algorithms focus on early aggressive resuscitation; unfortunately, most patients who survive do sustain anoxic brain injury. About 60% of cardiac arrest survivors regain consciousness; of these, one-third experience irreversible cognitive disabilities.
Treatment options for anoxic brain injury traditionally have been limited to supportive care. ...