To Freeze and Not to Fry

The lack of blood flow to the brain during a cardiac arrest can cause irreparable damage. Thus, after restoring normal rhythm and circulation, patients can end up with a beating heart in a brain-dead or a severely damaged body. Thus, preservation of the brain from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy has assumed paramount importance post-cardiac arrest. In this chapter, the author presents an illustrative case and briefly discusses hypothermia post-cardiac arrest for brain preservation.