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(Stroke. 2009;40:e657.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Prophylactic, Endovascularly Based, Long-Term Normothermia in ICU Patients With Severe Cerebrovascular Disease

Bicenter Prospective, Randomized Trial

Gregor Broessner, MD; Ronny Beer, MD; Peter Lackner, MD; Raimund Helbok, MD; Marlene Fischer, MD; Bettina Pfausler, MD; Janelle Rhorer, MS; Lea Küppers-Tiedt, MD; Dietmar Schneider, MD Erich Schmutzhard, MD

From the Department of Neurology (G.B., R.B., P.L., R.H., M.F., B.P., E.S.), Neurologic Intensive Care Unit, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria; Statistics Collaborative Inc (J.R.), Washington, DC; and the Department of Neurology (L.K.-T., D.S.), Neurologic Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.

Correspondence and reprint requests to Gregor Broessner, MD, Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Neurology, Neurologic Intensive Care Unit., Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. E-mail gregor.broessner{at}i-med.ac.at

Background and Purpose— We sought to study the effectiveness and safety of endovascular cooling to maintain prophylactic normothermia in comparison with standardized, stepwise, escalating fever management to reduce fever burden in patients with severe cerebrovascular disease.

Methods— This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial with a blinded neurologic outcome evaluation comparison between prophylactic, catheter-based normothermia (CoolGard; ie, body core temperature 36.5°C) and conventional, stepwise fever management with anti-inflammatory drugs and surface cooling. Patients admitted to 1 of the 2 neurointensive care units were eligible for study inclusion when they had a (1) spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage with Hunt & Hess grade between 3 and 5, (2) spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage with a Glasgow Coma Scale score 10, or (3) complicated cerebral infarction requiring intensive care unit treatment with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 15.

Results— A total of 102 patients (56 female) were enrolled during a 3.5-year period. Fifty percent had a spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage, 40% had a spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, and 10% had a complicated cerebral infarction. Overall median total fever burden during the course of treatment was 0.0°C hour and 4.3°C hours in the catheter and conventional groups, respectively (P<0.0001). Prophylactic normothermia did not lead to an increase in the number of patients who experienced a major adverse event. No significant difference was found in mortality and neurologic long-term follow-up.

Conclusions— Long-term, catheter-based, prophylactic normothermia significantly reduces fever burden in neurointensive care unit patients with severe cerebrovascular disease and is not associated with increased major adverse events.

Key Words: stroke • fever • normothermia • endovascular cooling