On the afternoon of January 20, Mr. L.V.T., aged 29, from Tam Thanh commune, Tam Ky city, Quang Nam province, was transferred to the Emergency Department of Quang Nam Central General Hospital in cardiac arrest and deep coma. According to his family, Mr. T. had a history of ST-elevation myocardial infarction and had undergone coronary stenting at another hospital ten days prior.
Saving a 29-year-old man from cardiac arrest using hypothermia technique
Upon arrival, doctors from the Emergency Department, Cardiac Intervention Unit, Cardiology Department, and Intensive Care Unit immediately convened to assess the case, which was deemed severe with high risk of death or severe brain damage due to previous signs of coma and cardiac arrest. The medical team promptly initiated resuscitation efforts while employing advanced techniques to maximize brain protection, including oxygen support, circulatory stabilization, and arrhythmia control. Simultaneously, they performed coronary angiography, revealing mild atherosclerosis but no blockages.
Subsequently, Mr. T. was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit for targeted temperature management (TTM). TTM involves cooling the patient’s body temperature to 33-36°C for 24-72 hours to reduce secondary brain injury caused by lack of oxygen. This was achieved through cooling pads applied to the skin and controlled by a machine, combined with intensive care measures to stabilize blood pressure and prevent arrhythmia recurrence.
The cooling process lasted 24 hours. Mr. T. showed significant improvement, with stable hemodynamics. After two days of treatment, he regained consciousness and had his endotracheal tube removed. Additional screening was conducted to identify potential causes of myocardial infarction and young-onset arrhythmias. He was discharged on January 26, in time to celebrate Tet with his family.
Dr. Nguyen Bao Chi, from the Intensive Care Unit at Quang Nam Central General Hospital, stated that the targeted temperature management technique was successfully implemented to control the patient’s body temperature. This method is commonly used for patients with acute brain injuries, such as ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, and severe traumatic brain injury with uncontrolled fever and poor response to conventional treatments.
