The role of hypothermia in neurosurgical patients

Interest in the therapeutic use of mild hypothermia was rekindled in the 1980s by the publication of promising animal studies. The results of several large clinical trials have become known in the last few years. This paper examines the recent evidence supporting the use of intraoperative hypothermia for neurosurgical patients.

This article will cover advances made in three key areas: evidence for a clinical benefit from intraoperative hypothermia, advances in cerebral temperature monitoring, and new techniques for cooling the brain.

There is currently insufficient evidence to support the use of mild intraoperative hypothermia for protection against focal cerebral ischaemia. Future investigations should focus on specific patient subgroups, and make use of recent advances in selective brain hypothermia and intracranial temperature monitoring.