Background: It is well known that body temperature maintenance between 20 and 35°C prevents hypoxic damage. However, data regarding the ideal duration and permissible temperature boundaries for ultra-deep hypothermia below 20°C are rather fragmentary. The aim of the present study was to determine the time limits of reversible clinical death in rats subjected to ultra-deep hypothermia at 1-8°C.
Results: Rat survival rates were directly dependent on the duration of clinical death. If clinical death did not exceed 35 min, animal viability could be restored. Extending the duration of clinical death longer than 45 min led to rat death, and cardiac functioning in these animals was not recovered. The rewarming rate and the lowest temperature of hypothermia experienced did not directly influence survival rates.
Conclusions: In a rat model, reversible ultra-deep hypothermia as low as 1-8°C could be achieved without the application of hypercapnia or pharmacological support. The survival of animals was dependent on the duration of clinical death, which should not exceed 35 min.
Keywords: Cardiac arrest; clinical death; survival rate; suspended animation; ultra-deep hypothermia.