Moderate Hypothermia as Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury
Andrew Cappuccino
Spine, 2008
Dr Andrew Cappuccino, assistant team orthopedic surgeon for the NFL Buffalo Bills and the supervising and operating surgeon of Bills player Kevin Everett, discusses the use of moderate systemic hypothermia to treat spinal cord injuries. Kevin Everett sustained a fracture dislocation of C3-C4 while making a tackle in a professional football game. On the field, he was immediately stabilized and received intravenous fluids, oxygen by mask, systemic hypothermic interventions, and intravenous steroid boluses. He was then able to recover in just a few months which is rare with this type of injury.