"Target therapeutic effect during transportation of patients with acute cardiac arrest"

Nov 25, 2024

'Target therapeutic effect during transportation of patients with acute cardiac arrest'
Results of comparison of the viability and side effects of target thermotherapy during transfer. The target body temperature treatment group was more likely to decrease body temperature than the control group, and the incidence of hypotension and hypoxia, which are major side effects, was lower.



It has been confirmed that 'target body temperature therapy', which prevents secondary brain damage after recovery from acute cardiac arrest, is viable and safe even for patients on transfer. A quick start of this treatment in an ambulance being transported will help improve the prognosis of patients with acute cardiac arrest.

A team of professors Noh Young-sun and Kim Ki-hong of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital announced the results of analyzing the feasibility and safety of target body temperature treatment for acute cardiac arrest patients transferred through the Seoul Metropolitan Public Transfer Center (SMICU).

Acute cardiac arrest occurs in about 30,000 people per year in Korea, and it is a fatal emergency situation in which less than 1 in 10 patients survive and are discharged from the hospital. Even if a normal heartbeat is restored through emergency resuscitation, secondary brain damage can occur. In order to prevent this problem, 'target body temperature therapy' that delays the metabolic rate of brain cells by lowering body temperature is necessary, and it is recommended to provide it as early as possible.



However, the validity and safety of target body temperature treatment in patients with acute cardiac arrest during transfer have not been properly evaluated. It is known that monitoring and treatment of patient conditions are limited during ambulance transport, so responding to variables occurring during transportation is not smooth. SMICU of Seoul National University Hospital, which was launched in 2016, has developed a specialized transfer protocol and provides target body temperature treatment during transfer through a severe patient transfer team.

The research team analyzed the feasibility and side effects of acute cardiac arrest patients transferred to SMICU from January 2016 to April 2023 by dividing them into a target therapeutic group (43) and a control group (86).



As a result, the target body temperature treatment group was 12.9 times more likely to drop in body temperature than the control group, confirming that it had significant feasibility. In addition, there was no significant difference between the target body temperature treatment group and the control group in the possibility of developing hypotension and hypoxia, which are major side effects. This shows that target body temperature treatment is safe and viable during transportation, according to the research team.

The research team explained that if the severely ill patient transfer team performs target body temperature treatment quickly, the patient's neurological prognosis can be improved safely even during hospital-to-hospital transfer.



Professor Noh Young-sun (Emergency Medicine Department) "This study confirmed that target body temperature treatment, which is a specialized treatment, can be safely implemented for patients with acute cardiac arrest on the way."It is expected that the operation of the critical patient transport team will contribute to improving the prognosis of patients and the level of health care in the community."

Meanwhile, the results of this study were published in the recent issue of 'Prehospital Emergency Care'.

'Target therapeutic effect during transportation of patients with acute cardiac arrest'
Professors Roh Young-sun (left) and Kim Ki-hong


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