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Therapeutic Hypothermia After the Return of Spontaneous Circulation

Not Applicable
Terminated
Conditions
Cardiac Arrest
Interventions
Other: Induced therapeutic hypothermia
Registration Number
NCT01617291
Lead Sponsor
University of California, San Francisco
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if induced therapeutic hypothermia (ITH) in the pre-hospital setting of a four county emergency medical system (EMS) that serves both urban and rural communities improves meaningful survival from medical cardiac arrest.

Detailed Description

Induction of therapeutic hypothermia after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in medical cardiac arrest is increasingly becoming the standard of care in the hospital setting. Several studies, including two sentinel research papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, show improved neurologic outcome with induced therapeutic hypothermia (ITH). 4, 5 This research led to a class IIa recommendation by the American Heart Association for ITH after ROSC in V-Fib arrest and a class IIb recommendation after ROSC in all other classes of medial cardiac arrest.6

The role of ITH in the pre-hospital setting is less clear. Studies currently exist that both show a benefit and fail to support improved outcomes.7-9 It has been suggested that the short transport times in most urban EMS systems might be part of the reason that some studies have failed to find benefit of ITH in the pre-hospital setting.

This is a prospective, randomized controlled trial involving all patients transported by CCEMS who have ROSC after a medical cardiac arrest and who are transported to a hospital that can continue ITH for 24 hours. All comatose patients who meet inclusion criteria will be randomized to either ITH in addition to continued treatment under standing protocols or regular care without ITH. Assignment to the two treatment arms will be done using the EMS number which is generated when the ambulance is dispatched to a call. Even numbered patients will have continued standard therapy while odd numbered patients will receive ITH.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
46
Inclusion Criteria
  • All patient transported by CCEMS with ROSC after a medical Cardiac Arrest to hospitals that can continue ITH
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Exclusion Criteria
  • Less than 18
  • Cardiac arrest due to trauma or hemorrhage
  • Pregnant women
  • patients whom are already hypothermic
  • transported to a hospital that can not maintain hypothermia for 24 hours
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Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Induced HypothermiaInduced therapeutic hypothermiaInduced hypothermia after the return of spontaneous circulation by the application of ice packs to the axilla and groin with cold IV fluids
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Induced therapeutic hypothermia in the pre-hospital setting improves outcomesfollowed until hospital discharge estimated to be from 2 days to 1 year if resuscitated

Induced hypothermia and continued treatment under standing paramedic protocols. To determine if ITH in the pre-hospital setting improves outcomes at hospital discharge

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Regular treatment without induced therapeutic hypothermiafollowed until hospital discharge estimated to be from 2 days to 1 year if resuscitated

Patients will be treated under standing paramedic protocols without the induction of hypothermia. To determine if there is a difference in these outcomes in patients with prolonged transport to the hospital (\> 20 minutes) versus those with shorter transport times.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Community Regional Medical Center

🇺🇸

Fresno, California, United States

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