Indications and limitations of induced hypothermic therapy for out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest

Purpose To identify candidates indicated to undergo induced hypothermic therapy (IHT) among comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) based on a retrospective review of medical charts. Methods Between 1995 and 2004, 49 patients who recovered from CPA and treated by IHT were analyzed. The subjects were divided into 2 groups. The first group (GR, n = 16) consisted of patients with a recovery of consciousness and the second group (VD, n = 33) consisted of patients who either remained unconscious or who died. Results Using a multiple logistic regression analysis, out-of-hospital return of spontaneous circulation was the only factor independently associated with the outcome (odds ratio, 0.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.00-0.23; P = .001). Conclusion IHT may be beneficial for CPA patients with out-of-hospital return of spontaneous circulation. Because of the small sample size, further large human studies are warranted.