Bernard SA et al, 1997, Australia | 22 adults who remained unconscious after return of spontaneous circulation after out of hospital cardiac arrest | Prospective study with historical control group. | Good neurological recovery (Glasgow outcome scale 1 or 2) | Hypothermia gp 11/22 versus Normothermia gp 3/22, p<0.05 | Prospective study with 22 historical controls rather than a randomised control trial |
| Hypothermia group cooled to 33°C for 12 h and rewarmed over 6 h to 36°C | | Survival | Hypothermia gp 12/22 versus Normothermia gp 5/22, p<0.05 | |
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Yanagawa Y et al, 1998, Japan | 13 adults with out of hospital cardiac arrest and return of spontaneous circulation | Prospective study | Good neurological recovery (GOS 1) | Hypothermia gp 3/13 versus Normothermia gp 1/15 | Historical controls rather than randomised study |
| Core temperature 33–34°C for 48 h. Rewarmed to 37°C at 1 °C/day. | | Survival | Hypothermia gp 7/13 versus Normothermia gp 5/15, p = 0.27 | |
| Control group 15 patients treated before the hypothermia protocol was started | | | | |
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Bernard SA et al, 2002, Australia | 77 adults who remained unconscious after resuscitation from out of hospital cardiac arrest | Randomised control trial | Good neurological recovery (GOS 1–2) | Hypothermia gp 21/43 versus normothermia gp 9/34, p = 0.046 | Odd and even day prehospital randomisation |
| hypothermia to 33°C for 12 h versus normothermia | | Survival | Hypothermia gp 21/43 versus normothermia 11/34, p = 0.145 | |
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The Hypothermia after Cardiac Arrest Study Group, 2002, Europe | 275 adults with out of hospital cardiac arrest and return of spontaneous circulation | Randomised controlled trial with blinded assessment of outcome. | Good neurological outcome at 6 months (GOS 1 or 2) | Hypothermia gp 75/136 versus normothermia gp 54/137, p = 0.009 | Enrolment rate slower than expected. Study ended when funds ran out |
Hypothermia to 32–34°C for 24 h then passive rewarming over 8 h versus normothermia | | Survival at 6 months | 80/136 versus normothermia gp 61/137, p = 0.02 | |