Objective: To examine the cooling effectiveness of a rapid infusion system (RIS) during induction of therapeutic hypothermia.
Methods: This laboratory study simulated the effect of three fluid delivery methods: rapid dripping without any other equipment (control); RIS; pressure bag. Cold energy loss (℃ × min) was calculated as: (temperature of the proximal thermoprobe--temperature of the distal thermoprobe) × (total infusion time).
Results: Infusion time was significantly shorter and cold energy loss significantly lower in the RIS group than in the two other groups.
Conclusions: RIS preserves the cold energy of fluid more effectively than pressure bag or control. RIS allows for rapid infusion at a constant pressure and can be easily applied in an emergency setting.
Keywords: Induced hypothermia; cold saline; rapid infusion system.
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