Abstract

In spite of improvement in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques, post-CPR mortality and brain injury rates have not changed significantly. The post-cardiac arrest syndrome has been suggested to be the major reason for the high mortality rate after CPR. Post-cardiac arrest syndrome, including brain injury, myocardial dysfunction, and septic shock-like syndrome after CPR, result in complicated multiple organ failure. Physicians who work in the ICU should have a good understanding of thepathophysiology of post-cardiac arrest syndrome. Recently, therapeutic hypothermia treatment for protection of brain injuries has been applied as a therapeutic regimen in spite of various side effects during the hypothermic procedure. Finally, therapeutic hypothermic treatment to reduce brain injury in post-cardiac arrest syndrome patients is strongly recommended to physiciansmanaging CPR. I would like to briefly review the therapeutic hypothermic procedure for the management of post-cardiac arrest syndrome.

• Keywords: brain injury;hypothermia;post-cardiac arrest syndrome