Therapeutic Hypothermia

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) recommended therapeutic hypothermia treatment as follows. Comatose adult patients with spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital VF cardiac arrest should be cooled to 32 to 34 degrees C for 12 to 24 hours. Induced hypothermia might also benefit comatose adult patients with spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest from a nonshockable rhythm, or cardiac arrest in hospital. Therapeutic hypothermia may be beneficial for adolescents who remain comatose following resuscitation from sudden witnessed out-of-hospital VF cardiac arrest, and may be considered for infants and children who remain comatose following resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Newly born infants born at or near-term with evolving moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy should be offered therapeutic hypothermia.