Cooling strategies for patients with severe cerebral insult in ICU (Part 2)

Critically ill patients who have sustained a severe cerebral insult will be actively cooled should they develop an elevated body core temperature. Patients who require therapeutic hypothermia for neuroprotection may require the same cooling strategies. A literature review suggested limited evidence to support cooling strategies currently used within one intensive care unit. An experimental approach was used to examine the effects of paracetamol and four external cooling strategies on patients with severe cerebral insult It is suggested that paracetamol is effective in reducing body core temperature and that fans may not. However, data obtained from the study of the four external cooling strategies were inconclusive.