Therapeutic hypothermia and temperature management
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Ther Hypothermia Temp Manag · Jun 2013
Postanoxic status epilepticus can be identified and treatment guided successfully by continuous electroencephalography.
Prognostication after cardiac arrest and therapeutic hypothermia is challenging. Recent data indicate that a subgroup of patients with postanoxic status epilepticus may recover. We describe a case of postanoxic status epilepticus with good outcome where a multimodal prognostic strategy motivated active and prolonged treatment. ⋯ We conclude that a favorable neurological outcome is possible despite prolonged postanoxic status epilepticus. A multimodal strategy for prognostication may help identify treatable cases. Continuous EEG monitoring is an important tool to detect and guide treatment of postanoxic status epilepticus.
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Treatment with mild hypothermia induced after cardiopulmonary resuscitation has become a standard of care, but optimal timing and duration of hypothermia remains unclear. We present a 66-year-old man admitted after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. ⋯ As a result, the patient was kept at the goal hypothermic temperature of 33°C for a total of 48 hours, compared with the usual 24-hour standard, with excellent sustained neurological recovery. This case documents the usefulness of extending hypothermia when applied to severely unstable patients and suggests that a sliding-target approach may be applied on a patient-by-patient basis.