Review of the clinical evidence and controversies in therapeutic hypothermia for survivors of sudden cardiac death

Abstract

Sudden cardiac arrest constitutes a major public health burden in both developed and developing countries. In those successfully resuscitated from cardiac arrest, subsequent mortality is still high (~75%) and is due to a combination of ischaemia and reperfusion injury. The purpose of this review is to describe the experimental and clinical evidence supporting therapeutic hypothermia in survivors of sudden cardiac arrest. We also discuss controversies and unresolved issues in therapeutic hypothermia, including the optimum target temperature for therapeutic hypothermia, and the role of pre-hospital induction of hypothermia. We conclude with a perspective on therapeutic hypothermia as it applies to the Singapore context.