Intravascular cooling for rapid induction of moderate hypothermia in severely head-injured patients: results of a multicenter study (IntraCool)
Juan Sahuquillo, Jon Pe´rez-Ba´rcena, Alberto Biestro, Elizabeth Zavala, Mari-Angels Merino, Anna Vilalta, Maria Antonia Poca, Angel Garnacho, Ramon Adalia, Javier Homar, Juan Antonio LLompart-Pou
Spine, 2005
In a 2-year period 24 patients with severe head injury and refractory high intracranial pressure were treated with moderate hypothermia (32.5 degrees C). Seven patients had a good recovery, nine patients had died, six were severely disabled, two moderately disabled. Intravascular methods to induce moderate hypothermia combined with precooling with cold saline at 4 degrees C appear to be feasible and effective in reducing intracranial pressure in patients.