Early Targeted Brain Cooling in the Cath Lab Following Cardiac Arrest. Randomised Controlled Trial of RhinoChill Versus Blanketrol Intra-Hospital Induction of Therapeutic Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest

According to standard practice patients will be fully anaesthetised, intubated and ventilated. Patients will have a baseline tympanic temperature measurement taken and then will be randomized to receive induction of TH by either RhinoChill Transnasal cooling system, or standard care using the Blanketrol III cooling blanket.

All patients will have tympanic and oesophageal temperature measurement every 10 minutes until they reach TH (<34 degrees centigrade). Once TH is achieved, the RhinoChill will be discontinued, and all patients will then receive the Blanketrol III cooling blanket for maintenance of TH for the standard 24 hour period. If a patient achieves a core body temp of 34 degrees centigrade while undergoing RhinoChill cooling and is still on the cath lab table, the device will be turned to low flow to ensure that the temperature is maintained until a transfer to the Blanketrol system is possible. For patients that arrive in the ICU on RhinoChill with a temperature >34 (i.e. have not reached TH), these patients will have RhinoChill and blanket therapy until they reach <34 degrees centigrade when the RhinoChill will be discontinued.