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New research into post-cardiac arrest care has turned treatment advice on its head and will lead to significant clinical changes in intensive care units in New Zealand and internationally.
A study found that cooling survivors of cardiac arrest to below a normal body temperature does not improve patient survival or recovery.
Therapeutic hypothermia has been a cornerstone of ICU treatment globally for the past 20 years and is part of standard care to limit brain damage.
Kathryn speaks with Professor Paul Young, deputy director at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand and the lead New Zealand investigator on the study, which was published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Photo: Rebecca McMillan Photography