Resuscitation of a Pediatric Drowning in Hypothermic Cardiac Arrest

Brendan N Dragann; Eric M Melnychuk; Christopher J Wilson; Richard L Lambert; Frank A Maffei

doi:10.1016/j.amj.2015.12.006

Resuscitation of a Pediatric Drowning in Hypothermic Cardiac Arrest

Air Med J. 2016 Mar-Apr;35(2):86-7. doi: 10.1016/j.amj.2015.12.006.

Authors

Brendan N Dragann¹, Eric M Melnychuk², Christopher J Wilson¹, Richard L Lambert³, Frank A Maffei³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA. Electronic address: emelnychuk@geisinger.edu.
³ Department of Pediatric Critical Care, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA.

PMID: 27021675
DOI: 10.1016/j.amj.2015.12.006

Abstract

The prognosis of pediatric patients who require prolonged resuscitation after ice water drowning and hypothermic cardiac arrest remains guarded. We report a case of successful prolonged resuscitation of a pediatric patient in hypothermic cardiac arrest who showed severe metabolic derangements and went on to make a rapid and full neurologic recovery without the use of extracoproreal rewarming or mechanical cardiac support. Many ground and air medical emergency medical service programs have policies against interfacility transfer of patients in hypothermic cardiac arrest, calling into question the need to revise current protocols.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Drowning*
Humans
Hypothermia / therapy*
Infant
Male
Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / therapy*
Resuscitation / methods*
Rewarming*