WakeMed Works with Wake County EMS to Offer Induced Hypothermia Therapy
Raleigh, NC - On October 5, 2006, WakeMed began participating in a community-wide effort to coordinate field-to-hospital use of Induced Hypothermia Therapy for select cardiac arrest patients. Research shows that some patients who regain a pulse after cardiac arrest may suffer injuries from blood flow resuming too quickly to the brain, often resulting in brain death or severe brain injury. Multiple studies have demonstrated improved neurological outcomes for patients who are cooled for the first 12 to 24 hours after they have a return of pulse.
When a patient meets the criteria for Induced Hypothermia and is in the field with an EMS paramedic, the paramedic chills the patient by using a cold saline IV and ice packs. Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, a special central venous catheter is placed in the femoral vein by an ED physician. This catheter has three balloons that have cold saline circulating through them using a machine that maintains the targeted body temperature of 33 degrees Celsius. Once hypothermia is induced and maintained for 24 hours, patients undergo a re-warming phase that takes approximately six to eight hours.
Induced hypothermia following a cardiac arrest incident is no longer just research, as statistics show that the therapy prevents brain death in one out of every six patients. But induced hypothermia isn't for every patient. Some patients are beyond reviving when paramedics arrive, while others regain consciousness after a quick shock with a defibrillator.
WakeMed is proud to one of the first health systems in the country to work in conjunction with Wake County EMS to implement this change in our standard of care that is consistent with recommendations from the American Heart Association.
