DELAY IN COOLING NEGATES THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF MILD RESUSCITATIVE CEREBRAL HYPOTHERMIA AFTER CARDIAC-ARREST IN DOGS - A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED STUDY

Objective. Previously, we documented that mild hypothermia (34-degrees-C) induced immediately with reperfusion after ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest in dogs improves functional and morphologic cerebral outcome. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that a 15-min delay in the initiation of cooling after reperfusion would offset this beneficial effect. Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled study. Setting. Animal intensive care unit. Subjects. A total of 22 custom-bred coonhounds. Interventions: Eighteen dogs underwent normothermic ventricular fibrillation arrest (no blood flow) of 12.5 mins, reperfusion with brief cardiopulmonary bypass, defibrillation within 5 mins, intermittent positive-pressure ventilation to 20 hrs, and intensive care to 96 hrs. Three groups of six dogs each were studied: group 1, normothermic controls; group 2, core temperature 34-degrees-C from reperfusion to 1 hr, and group 3, delayed initiation of cooling until 15 mins after normothermic reperfusion, and 34-degrees-C from 15 mins to 1 hr 15 mins after cardiac arrest. Measurements and Main Results: Tympanic membrane temperature (which represented brain temperature) in group 2 reached 34-degrees-C at 6 +/- 3 (SD) mins after reperfusion; and in group 3 at 29 +/- 1 mins after reperfusion. Best overall performance categories achieved (1, normal; 5, brain death) compared with group 1, were better in group 2 (p < .05) but not in group 3 (NS). Similar results were found with best neurologic deficit scores (0%, normal; 100%, brain death), i.e., 44 +/- 4% in group 1, 19 +/- 15% in group 2 (p < .01), and 38 +/- 9% in group 3 (NS). Total brain histologic damage scores (< 30 minimal damage; > 100 severe damage), however, were 150 +/- 32 in group 1, 81 +/- 13 in group 2 (p < .001 vs. group 1), and 107 +/- 17 in group 3 (p < .05 vs. group 1). Conclusions: Mild, resuscitative cerebral hypothermia induced immediately with reperfusion after cardiac arrest improves cerebral functional and morphologic outcome, whereas a delay of 15 mins in initiation of cooling after reperfusion may not improve functional outcome, although it may slightly decrease tissue damage.