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Therapeutic hypotermia after cardiac arrest
JIRCOVÁ, Danuše
The bachelor thesis deals with the influence of a mild therapeutic hypothermia as a hospital post-resuscitation care of patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation for non-traumatic cardiac arrest. Therapeutic hypothermia is a relatively new method. It is part of the European Guidelines for resuscitation since 2005. It was reported its positive effects on the neurological status of the patients. Using the method reduces the damage to the brain and cardiac muscle. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with the effect of mild hypothermia on the human body. Specifies the indication and contraindication criteria for initiation of therapeutic hypothermia, describes cooling methods of the patient and ways to terminate the therapeutic hypothermia. Describes the monitoring of physiological functions and nursing care of patients. The practical part of bachelor thesis mapped the procedures used in the administration of therapeutic hypothermia in patients treated in two large hospitals. These were Fakultní nemocnice Kralovske Vinohrady in Prague and Nemocnice Ceske Budejovice, a.s. The applied strategy of the research was qualitative. Content analysis of 10 case reports were carried out, 5 case reports from each hospital. Case reports concerning patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, who were treated using the therapeutic hypothermia as a part of hospital care. The aim of this thesis was to map the procedures used in the therapeutic hypothermia administration in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It was made available by hospitals after approval by ethics committees on the basis of applications submitted. The information was subsequently created into case studies that were analysed in the categorization tables. In the discussion, the results were compared with the published knowledge provided in the theoretical part of the thesis, and were commented. Analysed were: the composition of the group of patients by age and gender, provide the basic life support by witnesses prior to arrival of crew of the emergency medical service on scene, initial ECG rhythm after emergency medical service arrival, the time elapsed since the cardiac arrest appeared to restore of spontaneous circulation, initiation of therapeutic hypothermia in pre-hospital care, time elapsed since the therapeutic hypothermia start up to reaching the target body temperature, duration of the therapeutic hypothermia, the methods used for cooling the patients, the methods used for measuring the body temperature and neurological status at the time of discharge or transfer from the hospital. The results of the research surprisingly showed that general public are well-informed. Witnesses were able to recognize cardiac arrest, early called in professional help and were willing to give heart massage. This shows also the success in implementing the method of medical dispatcher-assisted basic life support in practice, because the witnesses were in many cases instructed by the medical dispatchers to resuscitate the patient. The majority of patient's initial ECG rhythm were diagnosed as ventricular fibrillation. Time to restoration of spontaneous circulation in most cases ranged within 29 minutes. To achieve the target body temperature at the recommended time limit has managed to half of patients. Target body temperature was always kept within the recommended timeframe and core body temperature was monitored. Concerns raised by an absence of the method start up in pre-hospital emergency care. The thesis highlighted the seriousness of sudden cardiac arrest and the high incidence of patients dismissed from the department with severe neurological deficit. Therefore, it is necessary to continue in research of this method, improve it and try to incorporate it already to pre-hospital care.
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