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Hypothermia: An Evolving Treatment for Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Authors :
Christoph Bührer
Thomas Hoehn
Marianne Thoresen
Georg Hansmann
Jerome Y. Yager
Alistair J. Gunn
Georg Simbruner
Seetha Shankaran
Shannon E. G. Hamrick
Malcolm I. Levene
Source :
Pediatrics. 121:648-649
Publication Year :
2008
Publisher :
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 2008.

Abstract

To the Editor.— It has always been challenging to know when new therapies should be considered ready for use in practice. History has provided many contrasting examples of simple and effective treatments (such as phototherapy and antenatal steroids) that languished for decades before being adopted and treatments that were and often continue to be used well after they proved to be either useless or less effective than simpler alternatives. However, it is extremely difficult to understand why Kirpalani and colleagues1 are so concerned that some neonatologists are now choosing to offer therapeutic hypothermia on a compassionate basis. Neither these practitioners nor any official body have, to our knowledge, declared that hypothermia should be the standard of care. They, and several of the undersigned, helped develop the consensus of the 2005 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development workshop that hypothermia is an evolving (not unproven or experimental) therapy, with many questions around its optimal use.2 Thus, the underlying premise of their commentary is shaky. Three independent …

Details

ISSN :
10984275 and 00314005
Volume :
121
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Pediatrics
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........a37037294621332911d8d659abbf3433