Targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest : What is new?

Abstract

The current guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council recommend targeted temperature management to improve functional neurological outcome in comatose survivors after cardiac arrest. With the pathophysiological background of hypothermia-induced neuroprotection for prevention of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, targeted temperature management is akey measure and represents acentral aspect in postresuscitation care.In the 2021 guidelines the application of targeted temperature management in postresuscitation care has been recommended for all rhythms and irrespective of the location of cardiac arrest. Targeted temperature management is advocated for adult patients who remain unresponsive following return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after either out-of-hospital cardiac arrest or in-hospital cardiac arrest. The body temperature should be maintained at aconstant value between 32 °C and 36 °C for at least 24 h. To avoid rebound hyperthermia, fever following targeted temperature management, defined as atemperature above 37.7 °C, should be prevented and treated for at least 72 h after ROSC in persistently comatose patients. The routine use of prehospital cooling by rapid infusion of large volumes of cold i.v. fluid immediately after ROSC is not recommended.Based on asystematic review of the current literature, this article summarizes the results of randomized trials and new findings on targeted temperature management in comatose adult patients after cardiac arrest. The review has aparticular focus on the most recent evidence regarding the optimum range of target temperatures. Furthermore, recent data on preclinical management, different patient populations, the duration of targeted temperature management, cooling methods and rebound hyperthermia are discussed.The impact of targeted temperature management on neurological outcome after cardiac arrest has been amatter of controversy. Despite contradictory results and heterogeneity of study designs, the current evidence supports the relevance and the necessity of strict temperature control in postresuscitation care for neuroprotection and improvement in functional neurological outcomes.