Hypothermia Saving Lives : Hypothermia for Cardiac Arrest

You typically bundle up to avoid hypothermia, but hypothermia is actually helping save some lives. The chances of surviving cardiac arrest are slim. Nine out of 10 patients whose hearts are restarted end up dying in the hospital. Anna Jackson gives answers on how inducing hypothermia increases the odds of survival.

Playing outside with her kids is something Mary McMichael-Liston will never take for granted after a health scare a few months ago.

"As I'm told, I'd been downstairs watching a movie just relaxing and decided to go upstairs and take a bath," said Mary.




"We called her name several times and got no response and then saw her do what appeared to be a gasping of breath, then I realized something was wrong," said Marla McMichael-Liston, Mary's partner.

Mary was suffering cardiac arrest. Medics and doctors at Riverside Methodist Hospital saved her by inducing hypothermia.




"The damage that usually occurs when there's lack of oxygen to the brain is decreased with the hypothermia, "said Michael Waite, MD.

Dr. Waite explains a sudden restart of a pulse and oxygen can cause severe brain damage. Hypothermia slows down the process.

With this blanket patients are kept in a hypothermic state for 24 hours. A machine pumps water through the blanket and controls the temperature, which is gradually raised over 12 hours.

"The whole idea of medically induced commas or hypothermia - that is just astounding to me. That we have the technology to do that," said Mary.

Mary lost about a months worth of her memory but otherwise life is back to normal and thanks to hypothermia, doctors hope many more patients have the chance to survive.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• ohiohealth
• hypothermia
• cardiac arrect
• wcmh
• riverside methodist
• hospital
• doctor

[menasea777]

im the frist on to coment allright