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Arrhythmogenicity of hypothermia - a large animal model of hypothermia

Citation

Bassin, L and Yong, AC and Kilpatrick, D and Hunyor, SN, Arrhythmogenicity of hypothermia - a large animal model of hypothermia, Heart, Lung and Circulation, 23, (1) pp. 82-87. ISSN 1443-9506 (2014) [Refereed Article]

Copyright Statement

Copyright 2014 Elsevier

DOI: doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2013.07.001

Abstract

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is used to mitigate cerebral injury after an out of hospital cardiac arrest. There is a perceived risk of increased arrhythmias with temperatures lower than the current target of 32-34°C for TH. This study sought to develop and investigate the electrophysiological changes in a sheep model of systemic hypothermia regarding the susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias.

Methods: Ten sheep underwent systemic hypothermia using a venous-venous extra-corporeal circuit whilst instrumented with a 12 lead ECG. An epicardial sock recorded potentials to 30°C (n = 10) or 26°C (n = 6). Activation times (AT) and Activation Recovery Intervals (ARI) were calculated using custom software.

Results: The AT and ARI were significantly prolonged with increased heterogeneity during hypothermia. This effect was most pronounced between normothermia and 34°C during sinus rhythm (SR). For ventricular pacing (VP) however heterogeneity continued to increase with progressive hypothermia.

Conclusions: Hypothermia causes a significant increase in the heterogeneity of depolarisation and repolarisation. There is evidence to suggest that SR is protective with most of the increase in heterogeneity occurring with cooling to 34°C. This raises the possibility that the current target temperatures for therapeutic hypothermia may be safely lowered to provide a gain in cerebral protection.

Item Details

Item Type:Refereed Article
Keywords:hypothermia, therapeutic hypothermia, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac electrophysiology
Research Division:Health Sciences
Research Group:Health services and systems
Research Field:Health services and systems not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:Health
Objective Group:Other health
Objective Field:Other health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:Yong, AC (Dr Ah Chot Yong)
UTAS Author:Kilpatrick, D (Professor David Kilpatrick)
ID Code:96637
Year Published:2014
Web of Science® Times Cited:6
Deposited By:Medicine
Deposited On:2014-11-13
Last Modified:2017-11-01
Downloads:0

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