The use of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest in a pregnant patient

Abstract

Therapeutic hypothermia is an effective intervention for the postresuscitative care of patients who have sustained a cardiac arrest. There has been only 1 documented case of successful resuscitation of a pregnant patient and fetus with therapeutic hypothermia, with an abbreviated developmental follow-up of the child. A 33-year-old woman in her 20th week of pregnancy presented to our emergency department after experiencing a cardiac arrest. After successful resuscitation and a discussion with a multidisciplinary team about expected outcomes, the mother and fetus were successfully treated with therapeutic hypothermia, and a healthy baby was delivered 19 weeks later. The mother's cardiac and neurologic function was normal 36 months after the arrest, and the child has reached all growth and neurodevelopmental milestones. We present a case demonstrating excellent immediate and long-term maternal-fetal neurologic, cardiac, and developmental outcomes after the use of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest in a pregnant patient.