Articles That May Change Your Practice: Targeted Temperature Management After Cardiac Arrest

Abstract

Fever is a potential risk factor for unfavorable outcomes after cardiac arrest. Current international guidelines recommend targeted temperature management (TTM) to prevent secondary brain injury in patients who remain in a coma after cardiac arrest. These recommendations were based on studies of patients out-of-hospital cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac etiology with shockable rhythms who were resuscitated and transported to the hospital. To improve the neurologic outcome, the recommendation was to induce mild hypothermia and maintain the patient at a core temperature between 32° and 36° Celsius for 12 to 24 hours.