Esophageal Temperature Management After Cardiac Arrest

Background The ability to control a patient's body temperature under a wide variety of conditions is extremely important, and is of particular importance after CA. TH targeted to 32-34°C as a targeted temperature management (TTM) demonstrably improves outcomes in at least two clinical conditions: adults resuscitated from CA and neonates suffering from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.1-7 TH is recommended for CA patients by major organizations that provide resuscitation guidelines, including the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation.8-10 This indication was confirmed by a non-expert jury who provided clinical recommendations for five professional and international critical care societies (the American Thoracic Society, the European Respiratory Society, the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the Société de Réanimation de Langue Française): the jury strongly recommends TTM to a target of 32-34°C as the preferred treatment (vs. unstructured temperature management) of out-of-hospital adult CA victims with a first registered electrocardiography rhythm of ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia and still unconscious after restoration of spontaneous circulation.11 Additional evidence exists, albeit lower level, for use of TH for comatose survivors of CA initially associated with non-shockable rhythms.8-10 The debate regarding the optimal level of TTM has been recently evaluated in a large randomized controlled trial comparing 2 different levels of TTM performed during 28 hours.12 In this study similar results regarding neuroprotection and survival have been obtained using either a 36°C target or a 33°C target (i.e. "real" TH).13 Consequently these 2 different levels of TTM can be used as it have been recently recalled by experts in the field. These treatments should be started as soon as possible, especially within the first 4 hours after CA. However this delay could be prolonged until 6 to 10 hours after CA.8-11 To date, however, available modalities for inducing precise TTM and TH have a number of technical, logistical, and financial barriers, including difficulties in placement, risks of use (such as needle sticks, infections, blood clots, and skin damage), and high cost. The Esophageal Cooling Device (ECD) is a disposable device that potentially improves the effectiveness of 32-34°C targeted TH while minimizing the risks of other existing methods such as invasive methods.14 The ECD is a multichambered silicone heat exchanger that is placed in the esophagus to provide highly efficient heat transfer to a patient while simultaneously maintaining access to the stomach to allow gastric suctioning, decompression, and drainage, as usually performed in such patients hospitalized in ICUs. The esophagus is in close proximity to blood flow from the heart and great vessels, and the ECD is designed to take advantage of this heat exchange environment. The ECD's ability to decompress the stomach and avoid distention of the esophagus away from the device ensures good contact with the esophageal mucosa, and thus maximizes heat transfer from the patient. The ECD replaces the standard gastric tube which is placed in the target patient population as a routine standard of care, is made of standard medical-grade silicone, and is generally similar in size and shape to the gastric tubes currently used. Initial mathematical and animal studies have shown strong support for the efficacy and safety of the ECD.14-16

Study design: Prospective, interventional study evaluating the feasibility (efficacy) and safety of the ECD in patients resuscitated from CA and treated with TH.

Patient population: Patient population will consist of patients suffering resuscitated out-of-hospital or in-hospital CA with stable return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and hemodynamic conditions with an indication to TH implementation according to standard recommendations.

Data collection: All clinical and biological parameters will be recorded according to the Utstein-style recommendations for reporting resuscitation outcomes. Neurologic outcome will be assessed according to the Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) score. Initial temperatures will be measured via a tympanic and naso-pharyngeal temperature sensors in the prehospital field and the inhospital cath-lab respectively. Continuous temperature measurement (specifically during cooling, maintenance, and rewarming) will be measured by bladder temperature sensors, and arterial temperature monitoring (Picco®) if available. Time of ECD placement and potential side effects will be recorded.

Specific treatment: The placement of the ECD will follow standard recommendations as per Instructions for Use. The ECD will be connected to the Gaymar console (Meditherm III, Gamida, France). In our institution, TH is performed in all patients resuscitated from an OHCA except those presenting exclusion criteria. TH can be initiated as soon as possible by administration of cold saline at 4°C if necessary followed by application of the available cooling device (blankets, endovascular methods, etc) aiming a target temperature of 32-34°C for 24 hours as recommended. 8-11,13 For all enrolled patient, the ECD will hereby replace the other cooling device usually used in our ICU.

Other treatments: Standard treatments for resuscitation after CA will follow local, national, and international guidelines as previously described. Briefly, core temperature is usually measured using esophageal or urinary Foley catheters with thermistor probe (Tyco Healthcare, France) and/or arterial temperature monitoring (PiCCO, Pulsion Medical System, France) if available and/or necessary. During TH, sedation is performed with continuous infusion of midazolam or propofol and sufentanil. Neuromuscular blockade is induced using cisatracurium to favor cooling and prevent shivering if necessary. Circulatory function is monitored by radial or femoral arterial catheter if necessary and blood pressure is maintained at ≥90mmHg systolic and >65mmHg mean arterial pressure. Hypotension is treated with dobutamine and norepinephrine or epinephrine titrated to the targeted blood pressure according to the cardiac output monitored using echocardiogram, or PiCCO® systems according to the physician in charge. Fluid management is left at the discretion of the attending physician. Neuromonitoring and prognostication after CA uses serial clinical examinations, biomarkers (lactates, creatinine, NSE, S100B protein), transcranial Doppler, daily Electro-Encephalo-Gram, cerebral CT-scan or MRI, and Somato-Sensory-Evoked-Potential if necessary.

Statistical analysis:

Since this is a pilot study a sample size of 15 patients was calculated based on local feasibility considerations. This is a non comparative study. Thus the statistical analysis will be descriptive. For all quantitative parameters, mean, SD, median and quartiles will be calculated. For qualitative parameters, percentage and their two-sided 95% confidence intervals will be calculated. All analyses will be made in patients who received the ECD. In case of unsuccessful attempt to use the ECD, the patient will be listed.

Informed consent and ethical considerations: This study will be conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association. The protocol have been submitted, modified and accepted by the local Ethics Committee of our local AP-HP institution (Institutional Review Board of Paris VI Hospital, Comité de Protection des Personnes de GHPS, Paris 12ème, approval CPP/79-14, ID RCB 2014-A01145-42, 10/28/2014).

Written informed consent will be obtained before inclusion from each patient's next of kin when present at patient's admission.. According to French law and our local Ethics Committee and because of the short delay to enroll patients, if no family member can be reached before inclusion despite systematic researches performed by the physician in charge of the patient as soon as patient's admission, a patient presenting inclusion criteria and no exclusion criteria can be included in emergency. In all cases, surviving patients without severe neurological sequels will give their written informed consent as soon as possible (i.e. when awake).

An approval regarding the use of the ECD from the French committee responsible for the devices used in human beings (Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des produits de santé, N° DMDTP/DMTECH/KB/2014-A01145-42, 9/4/2014) and the CE mark (N° , the 03/24/2014) have been specifically obtained separately. Specific insurances are delivered by ACT society and its French representing company IST Cardiology (Chubb Insurance Company of Europe SE, 10/10/2014, protocol 2014-A01145-42).

This trial has also been declared to the French Informatics' Society (Commission Nationale Informatique et Liberté N°1593420).

References:

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