The use of hypothermia as a treatment for traumatic brain injury.

Hypothermia has been shown to have neuroprotective effects and may have benefit in the treatment of head injuries. However, it is a controversial treatment in traumatic brain injury, and to date, there are no specific recommendations for its use. This article examines six research studies investigating the use of hypothermia as a treatment in patients with traumatic brain injury. All studies were prospective trials and compared a controlled normothermia group with a hypothermia group. Studies were compared by sample population, methods of hypothermia, outcomes, and conclusions. The leading variable in each study was hypothermia. However, each study used a different method of cooling, goal temperature, and duration of cooling. Through the comparison of these studies, a recommendation for change in practice cannot be made. Nevertheless, there may be benefits to hypothermia in traumatic brain injury, and suggestions for future research are identified.