The Healing Powers of Cold Temperatures - Therapeutic Hypothermia
How staying cool (like, really cool) can be good for you.
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the January 2013 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
Photo: Thinkstock
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For patients who've gone into cardiac arrest, lowering the body's temperature via ice packs, cooling blankets, or intravenous cold saline can be a lifesaver. Research has shown that cooling the body can help prevent tissue damage in the brain in the crucial hours after resuscitation. In a recent study published in Circulation, scientists suspect that the use of therapeutic hypothermia in U.S. patients contributed to a nearly 12 percent decline in deaths from cardiac arrest. |
