Donation of new Blanketrol machine making significant impact.

I wanted to send a tremendous thank you along to the Caldwell Roach group for the very generous donation of our new Blanketrol. There have been at least three cases, in our department, where we used our Blanketrol this summer already. In these cases we have used the Blanketrol for post arrest therapeutic hypothermia\target temperature management. We follow the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Guidelines for Post-Cardiac Arrest Care. Post cardiac arrest patients that remain unconscious after return of spontaneous circulation (getting a pulse back) are considered for therapeutic hypothermia. These patients are cooled for at least 24 hours using the Blanketrol. The optimum temperature for therapeutic hypothermia is 32-36 degrees Celsius. The Blanketrol allows us to constantly monitor the patient's core temperature through a rectal probe. The machine is set to a target temperature and will warm and cool the patient to maintain the desired therapeutic hypothermic temperature. During sudden cardiac arrest, the brain and other major organs don't get any blood flow. Therapeutic hypothermia is used to help the patient recover and reduce damage to the brain. The goal is to return the patient to previous function prior to the arrest.

Prior to Blanketrol, we would use ice packs to obtain targeted temperature management. The Blanketrol is much safer, more accurate, controlled and comfortable way to maintain therapeutic hypothermia for our patients.

I wanted the donors to know the impact that their gift has made, and the lives they are touching already...we are very thankful for the Blanketrol.

Thank you.

Paula House RN
ICU Clinical Practice Lead Colchester East Hants Health Centre