Shivering management during therapeutic temperature modulation: nurses' perspective

Goal-oriented temperature management in severely traumatized children in the emergency department: an evidence-based practice project

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Hypothermia commonly occurs in trauma patients. Evidence-based practices for hypothermia prevention are not strictly followed by all medical staff in the emergency department. This study aimed to assess compliance with evidence-based practices regarding goal-oriented temperature management for severely traumatized children in a Chinese hospital.

METHODS

This project used the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework to translate evidence into practice. The Integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework was used to identify barriers to compliance with best practices. A goal-oriented temperature management strategy for trauma patients was developed based on the identified barriers, along with a simulation training module, and the supply of warming materials. Field observation, review of medical records, and interviews with medical staff and patients were used to assess baseline and follow-up audit compliance with best practices.

RESULTS

Twelve criteria were audited in the baseline and follow-up audits, with 11 and 37 trauma patients, respectively. In the follow-up audit, compliance with all criteria increased, with a reduction in shivering and cold discomfort scores. Except for two patients who died, hypothermia did not occur in any of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The JBI Evidence Implementation Framework was used to successfully improve compliance with best practices. Future audits should be conducted to sustain the evidence-based behavior of all medical staff.

SPANISH ABSTRACT

http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A234.

Increasing the Effectiveness of Targeted Temperature Management

TOPIC

Targeted temperature management and therapeutic hypothermia are essential components of the multimodal approach to caring for compromised patients after cardiac arrest and severe traumatic brain injury.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The continuously evolving science necessitates summation of individual facets and concepts to enhance knowledge and application for optimally delivering care. Targeted temperature management is a complex therapy that requires fine-tuning the most effective interventions to maintain high-quality targeted temperature management and maximize patient outcomes.

PURPOSE

To describe the underlying pathophysiology of fever and the importance of manipulating water temperature and of preventing and treating shivering during that process.

CONTENT COVERED

This article discusses nursing considerations regarding the care of patients requiring targeted temperature management that are necessary to improve patient outcomes.

Safety and Feasibility of a Novel Transnasal Cooling Device to Induce Normothermia in Febrile Cerebrovascular Patients

BACKGROUND

Inducing normothermia with surface cooling temperature modulating devices (TMDs) is cumbersome and often associated with significant shivering. We tested the safety and feasibility of a novel transnasal evaporative cooling device to induce and maintain normothermia in febrile patients following ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

METHODS

A single-center study utilizing the CoolStat® transnasal cooling device was used to achieve core temperature reduction in mechanically ventilated stroke patients with fever (T ≥ 38.3 C) refractory to acetaminophen by inducing an evaporative cooling energy exchange in the nasal turbinates thru a high flow of dehumidified air into the nasal cavity and out through the mouth. Continuous temperature measurements were obtained from tympanic and core (esophageal or bladder) temperature monitors. Safety assessments included continuous monitoring for hypertension, tachycardia, and raised intracranial pressure (when monitored). Otolaryngology (ENT) evaluations were monitored for any device-related nasal mucosal injury with a pre- and post-visual examination. Shivering was assessed every 30 min using the Bedside Shivering Assessment Scale (BSAS). Duration of device use was limited to 8 h, at which time patients were transitioned to routine care for temperature management.

RESULTS

Ten subjects (median age: 54 years, BMI: 32.5 kg/m², 60% men) were enrolled with normothermia achieved in 90% of subjects. One subject did not achieve normothermia and was later refractory to other TMDs. Median baseline temperature was 38.5 ± 0.1 C, with a reduction noted by 4 h (38.5 ± 0.1 vs 37.3 ± 0.8, P < 0.001) and sustained at 8 h (38.5 ± 0.1 vs 37.1 ± 0.7, P = 0.001). Time to normothermia was 2.6 ± 1.9 h. The median BSAS was 0 (range 0-1) with only 4 episodes necessitating meperidine across 76 h of study monitoring. No treatment was discontinued due to safety concerns. ENT evaluations noted no device-related adverse findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Inducing normothermia with a novel transnasal TMD appears to be safe, feasible and not associated with significant shivering. A multicenter trial testing the ability of the CoolStat to maintain normothermia for 24 h is currently underway.

Management of Intracranial Pressure Part II: Nonpharmacologic Interventions

Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions are available to treat patients who experience serious elevations in intracranial pressure (ICP). In some cases, patients may experience ICP that is refractory to treatment. Significant negative effects on cerebral blood flow, tissue oxygenation, and cerebral metabolism occur as a result of intracranial hypertension, leading to secondary brain injury. In part 2 of this series, nonpharmacologic interventions for ICP and ICP refractory to treatment are discussed. Interventions include neurologic monitoring (bedside assessment and multimodal monitoring), ventilatory support, fluid and electrolyte maintenance, targeted temperature management, and surgical intervention. Technology is always evolving, and the focus of multimodal monitoring here includes devices to monitor ICP, brain tissue oxygen tension, and cerebral blood flow and cerebral microdialysis monitors. Nursing care of these patients includes perspicacious assessment and integration of data, monitoring ventilatory and hemodynamic functioning, and appropriate patient positioning. Nurses must collaborate with the interprofessional care team to ensure favorable patient outcomes while utilizing an evidence-based guideline for the management of ICP.

Shivering Treatments for Targeted Temperature Management: A Review

BACKGROUND

Shivering is common during targeted temperature management, and control of shivering can be challenging if clinicians are not familiar with the available options and recommended approaches.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this review was to summarize the most relevant literature regarding various treatments available for control of shivering and suggest a recommended approach based on latest data.

METHODS

The electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar were used to identify studies for the literature review using the following keywords alone or in combination: "shivering treatment," "therapeutic hypothermia," "core temperature modulation devices," and "targeted temperature management."

RESULTS

Nonpharmacologic methods were found to have a very low adverse effect profile and ease of use but some limitations in complete control of shivering. Pharmacologic methods can effectively control shivering, but some have adverse effects, such that risks and benefits to the patient have to be balanced.

CONCLUSION

An approach is provided which suggests that treatment for shivering control in targeted temperature management should be initiated before the onset of therapeutic hypothermia or prior to any attempt at lowering patient core temperature, with medications including acetaminophen, buspirone, and magnesium sulfate, ideally with the addition of skin counterwarming. After that, shivering intervention should be determined with the help of a shivering scale, and stepwise escalation can be implemented that balances shivering treatment with sedation, aiming to provide the most shivering reduction with the least sedating medications and reserving paralytics for the last line of treatment.

Use of Neuromuscular Blockers During Therapeutic Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest: A Nursing Protocol

BACKGROUND

Neuromuscular blockers used to prevent shivering during therapeutic hypothermia in comatose patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are associated with adverse events.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the influence of a nurse-implemented protocol on use of neuromuscular blockers in patients treated with 24-hour therapeutic hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

METHODS

A before and after study was done in a 24-bed cardiac arrest center. During the before period, paralysis was maintained by continuous infusion of vecuronium during therapeutic hypothermia. During the after period, a nurse-implemented protocol was used to strictly control use of neuromuscular blockers. The primary outcome measure was duration of infusion of neuromuscular blockers; secondary end points included rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia and intensive care unit mortality.

RESULTS

Among the 22 patients in the before group and the 23 patients in the after group, most were men (78%) with a median age of 66 years. Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. Median duration of sedation was 36 hours, shorter in the after group (34 hours) than in the before group (38 hours; P = .02). Median duration of infusion of neuromuscular blockers was significantly shorter in the after group (6 hours) than in the before group (33 hours; P < .001). Ventilator-associated pneumonia occurred more frequently in the before group (45%) than in the after group (13%; P = .02). Overall intensive care unit mortality rate was 58%, similar in both groups (P = .44).

CONCLUSION

Use of a nurse-implemented protocol to reduce use of neuromuscular blockers is feasible.

Hypothermia in acute ischemic stroke therapy

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is a potent neuroprotective therapy in experimental cerebral ischemia, with multiple effects at several stages of the ischemic cascade. In animals, TH is so powerful that all preclinical stroke studies require strict temperature control. In humans, multiple clinical studies documented powerful protection with TH after accidental neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury and global cerebral ischemia with return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest. National and international guidelines recommend TH for selected survivors of global ischemia, with profound benefits seen. Recently, a study comparing target temperature 33-36°C failed to demonstrate significant effects in cardiac arrest patients. Additionally, clinical trials of TH for head trauma and stroke have so far failed to confirm benefit in humans despite a vast preclinical literature. Therefore, it is now critical to understand the fundamental explanation for the success of TH in some, but famously not all, clinical trials. TH in animals appears to work when used soon after ischemia onset; for a short duration; and at a deep target temperature.

A Clinical Trial of the Effect of Warm Intravenous Fluids on Core Temperature and Shivering in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of warm intravenous fluids on shivering and core temperature of patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

DESIGN

This study was a two-group clinical-control trial.

METHODS

Ringer's solution at normal room temperature and serum at 38°C were infused in the control and intervention groups, respectively. Shivering, core temperature, SpO₂, and vital signs were measured at admission to the operating room and postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and 30 minutes after the admission to the PACU.

FINDINGS

There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of shivering, core temperature, and pulse rate at the time of admission to the PACU and 30 minutes after.

CONCLUSIONS

Ringer's solution at 38°C instead of room temperature can be used to reduce the incidence of postanesthetic hypothermia and shivering in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Using this method in addition to other nursing care is recommended preoperatively.

Hypothalamic or Extrahypothalamic Modulation and Targeted Temperature Management After Brain Injury

Targeted temperature management (TTM) has been recognized to protect tissue function and positively influence neurological outcomes after brain injury. While shivering during hypothermia nullifies the beneficial effect of TTM, traditionally, antishivering drugs or paralyzing agents have been used to reduce the shivering. The hypothalamic area of the brain helps in controlling cerebral temperature and body temperature through interactions between different brain areas. Thus, modulation of different brain areas either pharmacologically or by electrical stimulation may contribute in TTM; although, very few studies have shown that TTM might be achieved by activation and inhibition of neurons in the hypothalamic region. Recent studies have investigated potential pharmacological methods of inducing hypothermia for TTM by aiming to maintain the TTM and reduce the shivering effect without using antiparalytic drugs. Better survival and neurological outcome after brain injury have been reported after pharmacologically induced TTM. This review discusses the mechanisms and modulation of the hypothalamus with other brain areas that are involved in inducing hypothermia through which TTM may be achieved and provides therapeutic strategies for TTM after brain injury.

Targeted temperature management in neurological intensive care unit

Targeted temperature management (TTM) shows the most promising neuroprotective therapy against hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). In addition, TTM is also useful for treatment of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). HIE and elevated ICP are common catastrophic conditions in patients admitted in Neurologic intensive care unit (ICU). The most common cause of HIE is cardiac arrest. Randomized control trials demonstrate clinical benefits of TTM in patients with post-cardiac arrest. Although clinical benefit of ICP control by TTM in some specific critical condition, for an example in traumatic brain injury, is still controversial, efficacy of ICP control by TTM is confirmed by both in vivo and in vitro studies. Several methods of TTM have been reported in the literature. TTM can apply to various clinical conditions associated with hypoxic/ischemic brain injury and elevated ICP in Neurologic ICU.

Limb Hypothermia for Preventing Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Breast Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) due to paclitaxel is a common dose-limiting toxicity with no effective prevention or treatment. We hypothesize that continuous-flow limb hypothermia can reduce paclitaxel-induced PN.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

An internally controlled pilot trial was conducted to investigate the neuroprotective effect of continuous-flow limb hypothermia in breast cancer patients receiving weekly paclitaxel. Patients underwent limb hypothermia of one limb for a duration of 3 h with every paclitaxel infusion, with the contralateral limb used as control. PN was primarily assessed using nerve conduction studies (NCSs) before the start of chemotherapy, and after 1, 3, and 6 months. Skin temperature and tolerability to hypothermia were monitored using validated scores.

RESULTS

Twenty patients underwent a total of 218 cycles of continuous-flow limb hypothermia at a coolant temperature of 22°C. Continuous-flow limb hypothermia achieved mean skin temperature reduction of 1.5 ± 0.7°C and was well tolerated, with no premature termination of cooling due to intolerance. Grade 3 PN occurred in 2 patients (10%), grade 2 in 2 (10%), and grade 1 in 12 (60%). Significant correlation was observed between amount of skin cooling and motor nerve amplitude preservation at 6 months (p < 0.0005). Sensory velocity and amplitude in the cooled limbs were less preserved than in the control limbs, but the difference did not attain statistical significance. One patient with a history of diabetes mellitus had significant preservation of compound muscle action potential in the cooled limb on NCS analysis.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that continuous limb hypothermia accompanying paclitaxel infusion may reduce paclitaxel-induced PN and have therapeutic potential in select patients and warrants further investigation. The method is safe and well tolerated.

Improved Therapeutic Benefits by Combining Physical Cooling With Pharmacological Hypothermia After Severe Stroke in Rats

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background and Purpose—

Therapeutic hypothermia is a promising strategy for treatment of acute stroke. Clinical translation of therapeutic hypothermia, however, has been hindered because of the lack of efficiency and adverse effects. We sought to enhance the clinical potential of therapeutic hypothermia by combining physical cooling (PC) with pharmacologically induced hypothermia after ischemic stroke.

Methods—

Wistar rats were subjected to 90-minute middle cerebral artery occlusion by insertion of an intraluminal filament. Mild-to-moderate hypothermia was induced 120 minutes after the onset of stroke by PC alone, a neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1) agonist HPI-201 (formally ABS-201) alone or the combination of both. The outcomes of stroke were evaluated at 3 and 21 days after stroke.

Results—

PC or HPI-201 each showed hypothermic effect and neuroprotection in stroke rats. The combination of PC and HPI-201 exhibited synergistic effects in cooling process, reduced infarct formation, cell death, and blood-brain barrier damages and improved functional recovery after stroke. Importantly, coapplied HPI-201 completely inhibited PC-associated shivering and tachycardia.

Conclusions—

The centrally acting hypothermic drug HPI-201 greatly enhanced the efficiency and efficacy of conventional PC; this combined cooling therapy may facilitate clinical translation of hypothermic treatment for stroke.