Abstract
In this issue of Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, expert panel discussions and original articles are presented that will be of interest to the readership of the Journal. One expert panel discussion focuses on current advances for the use of temperature management in response to the recent targeted temperature management (TTM) multicenter trial. Drs. Kees H. Polderman and Hans Friberg debated the TTM findings and future initiatives. Dr. Michael Kurz discussed the important topic of coagulation abnormalities after cardiac arrest and the effects of cooling. Dr. Gregory Kapinos reviewed the new practice guidelines for reducing brain injury after cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of therapeutic hypothermia. A second roundtable discussion that was moderated by Dr. Marko Noc discussed various aspects of therapeutic hypothermia and temperature control in cardiac arrest patients, whereas Dr. Hans Friberg spoke on fever control in postcardiac patients during the active TTM 2 study. Dr. Chien-Hua Huang lectured on postresuscitation studies in Asia providing interesting registry data. Finally, Dr. Philip E. Empey lectured on drug deposition and response with therapeutic hypothermia and cardiac arrest.
In addition to these expert panel discussions, a series of original articles are also included in this issue. Drs. Duranceau and Mayette provide results from a retrospective cohort study of patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest and the effects of IV fluid quantity on survival rate. In a preclinical study, Dr. Nakayama and colleagues tested whether the hydrogen sulfide donor, sodium hydrogen sulfide, improved outcome in an experimental model of cardiac arrest with therapeutic hypothermia. Dr. Diederen and colleagues discussed complications of therapeutic hypothermia after perinatal asphyxia in a cohort of infants. In addition, Dr. Soysal and colleagues discussed the clinical problem of unplanned hypothermia during perioperative periods examining the effects of active and passing warming methods in patients. Dr. Tauchi and colleagues presented preclinical data using focal brain cooling methodologies in animals after severe ischemic insults. Finally Dr. Chae and colleagues monitored cerebral energy metabolism to provide new information regarding postcardiac arrest patient management during therapeutic hypothermia.
In addition to these original articles, a case report is presented by Dr. Yildiz and colleagues on a cardiac arrest patient who was treated with propofol for sedation and underwent successful therapeutic hypothermia therapy. This issue also includes our Arctic Challenge section that provides a number of question-and-answer sections that are currently being asked in the field of therapeutic hypothermia and targeted temperature management. The readership of the Journal will benefit from these thoughtful responses to current questions and appropriate literature citations. We thank the authors for their important contributions as well as the editorial board for their critical support in reviewing these interesting articles in a timely manner.