Safety, Feasibility, and Efficiency of a New Cooling Device Using Intravenous Cold Infusions for Fever Control.

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Fever control is crucial for acute brain injury (ABI) patients.
• Cold saline infusion is a potential method for targeted temperature management.
• Current methods lack standardized fluid management and automated feedback systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a novel automated fluid infusion system for targeted temperature management in ABI patients.
• To assess the system's ability to achieve and maintain normothermia.

Main Methods:

• Twelve ABI patients with persistent fever were treated with the automated tempedy infusion device.
• Patients received treatment after failing to achieve normothermia with standard methods.
• Efficacy was measured by time and fluid volume to reach target temperature; safety was assessed by technical issues and signs of fluid overload.

Main Results:

• The system reached target temperature in a mean of 73 minutes, using a mean of 1650 ml of fluid.
• The mean fluid balance in the first 12 hours was 1350 ml.
• Temperature remained within the target range for 89.4% of the time, with no reported fluid overload or adverse events.

Conclusions:

• Automated fluid infusion for targeted temperature management in ABI patients is feasible.
• The system demonstrated initial safety, but further randomized studies are needed.
• Long-term safety, optimal indications, and timing require further investigation.