Optimization of induction of mild therapeutic hypothermia with cold saline infusion: A laboratory experiment

Cold fluid infusions can be used to induce mild therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest. Fluid temperature higher than 4 degrees C can increase the volume of fluid needed, prolong the induction phase of hypothermia and thus contribute to complications. We performed a laboratory experiment with two objectives. The first objective was to analyze the effect of wrapping fluid bags in ice packs on the increase of fluid temperature with time in bags exposed to ambient conditions. The second objective was to quantify the effect of insulating venous tubing and adjusting flow rate on fluid temperature increase from bag to the level of an intravenous cannula during a simulated infusion. The temperature of fluid in bags wrapped in ice packs was significantly lower compared to controls at all time points during the 120 minutes observation. The temperature increase from the bag to the level of intravenous cannula was significantly lower for insulated tubing at all infusion rates (median temperature differences between bag and intravenous cannula were: 8.9, 4.8, 4.0, and 3.1 degrees C, for non-insulated and 5.9, 3.05, 1.1, and 0.3 degrees C, for insulated tubing, at infusion rates 10, 30, 60, and 100 mL/minute, respectively). The results from this study could potentially be used to decrease the volume of fluid infused when inducing mild hypothermia with an infusion of cold fluids.