Successful Target Temperature Management After Cardiac Arrest: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

TL;DR

A young woman survived cardiac arrest and neurological damage through target temperature management, leading to full recovery.

Contribution

This case report highlights successful neurological recovery using target temperature management after cardiac arrest.

Findings

The patient showed daily neurological improvements during target temperature management.

Magnetic resonance imaging revealed hypoxic leukoencephalopathy affecting specific brain regions.

The patient was fully recovered and discharged after six weeks of intensive care.

Abstract

A 20-year-old female was admitted to the hospital after a successful resuscitation from a cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. She had no prior medical history. The patient was rescued from her house, brought to the hospital with sinus rhythm, sedated, in a coma. Electrocardiography showed no modifications other than the ventricular extrasystoles. Computed tomography showed an epicranian hematoma from the fall that occurred during the cardiac arrest, a heart with a thickened interventricular septum, and the other organs being within physiological limits. Magnetic resonance imaging showed late hypoxic leukoencephalopathy with a level of the white matter of the semioval centers, radiating corona, splenium corpus callosum, and internal capsular posterior arm with extension to the cerebral peduncles. The patient achieved a good neurological outcome with target temperature management and had small neurological improvements every day after resuming spontaneous breathing. After a long intensive care and hospitalization period of six weeks, she was discharged, able to resume her societal status and be a fully recovered individual.

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