Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Hypothermia, Normothermia
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Cardiac arrest contributes to 300,000 to 450,000 deaths in the United States every year. Individuals who survive cardiac arrest often still die after resuscitation. Induced hypothermia is often an intervention used for individuals after being resuscitated after a cardiac arrest and has become standard practice for several institutions. There is significant motivation to see if induced hypothermic states promote improved mortality rates for patients who experience cardiac arrests.
Objective: The purpose of this paper is to determine the effectiveness of induced hypothermia versus normothermia on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest mortality rates. Methods: A review of recent literature in the past five years was completed. CINAHL, PubMed, and ProQuest were searched. Quality of the research was appraised using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Practice guide adapted for St. John Fisher University Wegmans School of Nursing. Observational or randomized studies comparing survival in adults aged 18 years or greater resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receiving induced hypothermia or no temperature intervention were included.
Results: Four studies met inclusion data and were used in the analysis. Two of the studies demonstrated no significant difference between induced hypothermia and normothermia interventions. One study was inconclusive. The fourth study demonstrated a significantly lower mortality rate when patients were regulated with hypothermic conditions.
Conclusions: Only one of four studies found significantly improved mortality rates post-cardiac arrest when hypothermic temperature management was used. No significant difference was noted in patient mortality rate when comparing the use of induced hypothermia vs. normothermic conditions for patients post out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Recommended Citation
Blunden, Cora
(2024)
"Hypothermia versus Normothermia as Intervention to Reduce Mortality Rates Following Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest,"
Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2024, Article 6.
Available at:
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/soaring/vol2024/iss1/6