Successful therapeutic hypothermia management for a patient with asystole: Case report

Abstract

Therapeutic hypothermia is efficient on comatose patients after cardiac arrest. This article aims to demonstrate successful therapeutic hypothermia management for a patient with asystole. A 39 years old female patient, to whom after cardiac arrest due to dilated cardiomyopathy 45 minutes CPR in emergency department was performed and an arterial catheter was applied via right femoral artery for coronary for angiograpy and arteriograpy, hospitalized in our intensive care unit. We have inserted a left femoral vein catheter for therapeutic hypothermia application. Therapeutic hypotermia was performed to reduce body temperature 0.5 degrees C per hour until 32 degrees C was reached and continued for 72 hours. The consciousness of the patient opened at 12th day and at at 16th day we applied weaning and extubated the patient. During the observation and treatment period after TH a pseudoaneurysm was developed at the right femoral artery and the patient was operated by the cardiovascular surgery. Afterwards a large tissue defect developed in the operation region. After completed follow-upand treatment in the ICU, the patient was transferred at full conscious and breathing condition to the plastic surgery clinic for tissue defect repairing, on 31th day. Therapeutic hypothermia improves neurological recovery in comatose post-cardiac arrest patients and it should be taken into consideration.