Difference Between Bladder and Esophageal Temperatures in Mild Induced Hypothermia

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Therapeutic Hypothermia
• Post-Cardiac Arrest Care

Background:

• Mild induced hypothermia (MIH) is a standard treatment for comatose cardiac arrest survivors.
• The induction phase aims to lower core body temperature to 32–34°C.
• Accurate temperature monitoring is vital for effective MIH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare temperature changes in the esophagus versus the urinary bladder.
• To evaluate monitoring sites during mild induced hypothermia in cardiac arrest survivors.
• To assess the efficacy of cold saline infusion for therapeutic hypothermia.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study in an adult medical intensive care unit.
• Paired esophageal and bladder temperature readings recorded every 5 minutes for 95 minutes.
• Cold saline infusion stopped when target temperature (33.9°C) was reached at either site.

Main Results:

• Esophageal temperature reached target in 33 ± 15 minutes; bladder temperature in 63 ± 15 minutes (p=0.006).
• Significant interaction between time and measurement site (p < 0.001).
• Esophageal temperatures decreased significantly faster than bladder temperatures.

Conclusions:

• Esophageal temperature monitoring provides a faster response during MIH induction with cold saline infusion.
• Esophageal monitoring may offer more timely feedback for therapeutic hypothermia protocols.
• Bladder temperature monitoring shows a slower response rate in this context.