Code Chill

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center provides induced hypothermia treatment for people who experience sudden cardiac arrest. Research has shown that chill therapy can reduce the risk of neurological damage and preserve brain function after a catastrophic cardiac event.

Mild hypothermia is induced with coil-shaped catheter inserted into a vein in the patient’s groin. Blood is cooled as it circulates past the cold coil and causes a rapid, yet controlled, drop in body temperature. The rapid cooling down to 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit and slow warming over a total of 36 hours limits cell damage caused when the brain goes without oxygen for a period of time. This advanced treatment is coordinated by a team of Emergency Medicine, Cardiology and Critical Care specialists and can be administered in combination with emergent percutaneous intervention.