Can we further optimize therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy?

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a leading cause of neonatal death and disability.Therapeutic hypothermia significantly reduces death and major disability associated with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy;however,many infants still experience lifelong disabilities to movement,sensation and cognition.Clinical guidelines,based on strong clinical and preclinical evidence,recommend therapeutic hypothermia should be started within 6 hours of birth and continued for a period of 72 hours,with a target brain temperature of 33.5 ±0.5℃ for infants with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.The clinical guidelines also recommend that infants be re warmed at a rate of 0.5℃ per hour,but this is not based on strong evidence.There are no randomized controlled trials investigating the optimal rate of rewarming after therapeutic hypothermia for infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.Preclinical studies of rewarming are conflicting and results were confounded by treatment with sub-optimal durations of hypothermia.In this review,we evaluate the evidence for the optimal start time,duration and depth of hypothermia,and whether the rate of rewarming after treatment affects brain injury and neurological outcomes.

Low-radiation and high image quality coronary computed tomography angiography in “real-world” unselected patients

AIM To determine the radiation dose and image quality in coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)using state-of-the-art dose reduction methods in unselected"real world"patients.METHODS In this single-centre study,consecutive patients in sinus rhythm underwent CCTA for suspected coronary artery disease(CAD)using a 320-row detector CT scanner.All patients underwent the standard CT acquisition protocol at our institute(Morriston Hospital)a combination of dose saving advances including prospective electrocardiogram-gating,automated tube current modulation,tube voltage reduction,heart rate reduction,and the most recent novel adaptive iterative dose reconstruction 3D(AIDR3D)algorithm.The cohort comprised real-world patients for routine CCTA who were not selected on age,body mass index,or heart rate.Subjective image quality was graded on a 4-point scale(4=excellent,1=non-diagnostic).RESULTS A total of 543 patients were included in the study with a mean body weight of 81±18 kg and a pre-scan mean heart rate of 70±11 beats per minute(bpm).When indicated,patients received rate-limiting medication with an oral beta-blocker followed by additional intravenous beta-blocker to achieve a heart rate below 65 bpm.The median effective radiation dose was 0.88 mSv(IQR,0.6-1.4 mSv)derived from a Dose Length Product of61.45 mGy.cm(IQR,42.86-100.00 mGy.cm).This also includes what we believe to be the lowest ever-reported radiation dose for a routine clinical CCTA(0.18 mSv).The mean image quality(SD)was 3.65±0.61,with a subjective image quality score of 3("good")or above for 93%of patient CCTAs.CONCLUSION Combining a low-dose scan protocol and AIDR3D with a 320-detector row CT scanner can provide high quality images at exceptionally low radiation dose in unselected patients being investigated for CAD.