• Kyle A Weant and Stephanie N Baker.
• Department of Pharmacy Services, University of Kentucky HealthCare, Lexington, USA.
• Adv Emerg Nurs J. 2011 Oct 1;33(4):288-94; quiz 295-6.

AbstractOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality as the mortality rate has been documented to be as high as 90% in patients who experience the insult at home. For those who survive, more than 50% will have some form of brain damage. Despite the devastation of this event, therapeutic options for improving outcomes in this population are unfortunately limited. However, therapeutic hypothermia has been evaluated in 2 landmark randomized, controlled trials in patients who experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with the results showing an improvement in both neurologic outcomes and mortality. Providers must be familiar with the rationale behind the therapy, the physiological effects of the cooling and rewarming processes, and the pharmacologic management that aides in improved outcomes and minimizes complications.

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