UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Hypothermic cardiac arrest

Posted: 1/18/2022 by Duyen Tran, MD
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Clinical pearls for hypothermic cardiac arrest

VA-ECMO is rewarming strategy of choice – consider transport/contacting nearest ECMO center whenever possible
- HOPE score predicts survival probability after ECLS rewarming and may guide ECLS decision making. Predictors include age, sex, mechanism of hypothermia, CPR duration, potassium, and core temperature at admission
If access to ECMO center is not available, use external and internal rewarming strategies: removing wet clothes, forced-air heating blankets, warmed IV fluids (38-42C), thoracic and/or peritoneal lavage
High-quality continuous CPR is key. Use mechanical CPR when available
Lack of consensus with regards to ACLS guidelines. European Resuscitation Council recommends up to 3 attempts at defibrillation and withholding epinephrine while core temp is < 30C. AHA states reasonable to follow standard ACLS algorithms. It has been suggested that administering up to 3 shocks and 3 doses of epinephrine while core temp is <30 C is a reasonable approach, with additional doses guided by clinical response
Resuscitate until core temp is at least 32C (warm and dead). Once rewarmed, consider termination of resuscitation with persistent asystole or K >12

References

Paal P, Gordon L, Strapazzon G et al. Accidental hypothermia–an update. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2016;24(1). doi:10.1186/s13049-016-0303-7

Pasquier M, Rousson V, Darocha T et al. Hypothermia outcome prediction after extracorporeal life support for hypothermic cardiac arrest patients: An external validation of the HOPE score. Resuscitation. 2019;139:321-328. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2019.03.017

Misch M, Helman A. Accidental Hypothermia and Cardiac Arrest | CritCases | EM Cases. Emergency Medicine Cases. http://emergencymedicinecases.com/accidental-hypothermia-cardiac-arrest. Published 2019. Accessed January 18, 2022.