267 Throwing the Baby Out With the Ice Water? Dramatic Decreases in Targeted Temperature Management for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Abstract

Targeted temperature management (TTM) has been a source of debate and controversy in emergency medicine for two decades. Initial trials showed improved neurologic outcomes with aggressive cooling to 32-34o C However, later trials demonstrated that aggressive cooling either did not show benefit, or most recently, is not superior to maintenance of normothermia. This raises concern that the decline in aggressive post-cardiac arrest TTM may lead to worse neurologic outcomes—not because of a lack of cooling, but due to generally less adequate post-arrest care.