Articles & Studies | By December 29, 2008 | By T. A. McNamee, MD | 2 Comments

Sometimes It’s Good to Be Cold – Therapeutic Hypothermia

The upper Midwest has been besieged by a bitter cold front for the past several days. Chicago recently reported wind chills of 30 degrees below zero, and several locations in North and South Dakota posted high ambient air temperatures of several degrees below zero, without wind chill. Though not exactly what most would consider desirable temperatures, cold temperatures, and more specifically hypothermia, have played an interesting role in health care. In its infancy, induced hypothermia was used primarily for amputations, in the hopes of providing some pain relief before the era of anesthesia. More recently, hypothermia has shown benefit in several areas, including the following: Read more →