Fever After Rewarming Incidence of Pyrexia in Postcardiac Arrest Patients Who Have Undergone Mild Therapeutic Hypothermia

Background: Induction of mild therapeutic hypothermia (TH; temperature 32-34°C) has become standard of care in many hospitals for comatose survivors of cardiac arrest. Pyrexia, or fever, is known to be detrimental in patients with neurologic injuries such as stroke or trauma. The incidence of pyrexia in the postrewarming phase of TH is unknown. We attempted to determine the incidence of fever after TH and hypothesized that those patients who were febrile after rewarming would have worse clinical outcomes than those who maintained normothermia in the postrewarming period.Methods: Retrospective data analysis of survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) over a period of 29 months (December 2007 to April 2010). Inclusion criteria: OHCA, age >18, return of spontaneous circulation, and treatment with TH. Exclusion criteria: traumatic arrest and pregnancy. Data collected included age, sex, neurologic outcome, mortality, and whether the patient developed fever (temperature > 100.4°F, 38°C) within 24 hour...