Decrease in perfusion, which happens during heart attacks and other critical conditions, can cause irreversible damage to the brain. Cooling the brain as soon as possible has been shown to reduce such damage, but doing so is often hindered by the cooling equipment itself.
A new product is slated to soon come out that was designed to allow clinicians to cool the brain quickly and easily, perhaps even inside an ambulance. Moreover, because the equipment is compact and stays out of the way once deployed, it allows other procedures to be performed at the same time.
The QuickCool system, from a Swedish company of the same name, is designed for cooling the brain via the nasal cavity. Saline solution from standard IV bags is pumped into a bedside device that brings the temperature down and moves it through a catheter inserted via the nose. The system keeps a constant watch on the saline exiting the body and adjusts the delivered saline to make sure things are kept as close to the hypothermia goal as possible.
The therapy can be administered in the emergency room, for example, and remain with the patient throughout the rest of the treatment regimen. The system can be attached to the patient bed and switched to battery power, maintaining cooling as long as the batteries still have a charge.
The company has already conducted a number of clinical trials, with more expected following European CE Mark approval.
QuickCool System Spares Brain from Lack of Oxygen During Emergencies [MedGadget]