Cold Treatment Helps Patients

By David Wenner, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa.

Jan. 10–Ice is great for sprained ankles. But can it help after a heart attack or broken neck?

Definitely — if you’re lucky enough to get it.

For about six months, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has been offering “therapeutic hypothermia” to some heart attack patients.

A special machine pumps ice water into wraps placed over the legs and torso. Chilled saline solution is pumped into the body.

Cooling the body to about 91 degrees can prevent brain damage that could result from interrupted blood flow after a heart attack. It also can reduce damage that often follows a stroke or broken neck.

During a demonstration on Wednesday, doctors at the medical center said the therapy is beneficial for people whose heart has stopped and who go a long time before the start of resuscitation efforts. Brain damage isn’t likely for people who get fast treatment such as defibrillation, Dr. Ian Gilchrist said.

One or two patients per month are receiving therapeutic hypothermia at the medical center, Dr. Sandralee Blosser said.

The American Heart Association now includes therapeutic hypothermia in its guidelines for treating heart attack patients. But most hospitals don’t offer it.

One challenge is creating a system within the hospital to ensure that emergency room, critical care and cardiac care doctors are all prepared to provide the treatment, the doctors said.

The patient’s body temperature is kept at 91.4 degrees for 12 to 24 hours, and the patient receives drugs to prevent shivering. The patient doesn’t feel or remember the experience, the doctors said.

Therapeutic hypothermia received attention a few months ago after it was used on Buffalo Bills football player Kevin Everett, who suffered a spinal cord injury. Everett’s doctors believe it reduced inflammation and damage that often adds to the amount of body movement that could be permanently lost.

The doctors at Hershey only use the treatment for certain heart attack patients. Using it for conditions such as a broken neck or stroke is experimental, and they said they are waiting for conclusive studies.

Holy Spirit Hospital in East Pennsboro Twp. plans to soon provide the treatment, said Dr. Joseph Torchia, the medical director.

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