Aggressive Targeted Temperature Management After Cardiac Arrest Does Not Cause Severe Coagulopathy

Targeted temperature management (to 33–36° C) is used for neuroprotection in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest. Because profound hypothermia can cause coagulopathy, patients thought to be at increased risk from bleeding are commonly considered to have contraindication to targeted temperature management. These authors conducted a single-center planned substudy of a larger randomized, multicenter study that compared target temperatures of 33°C and 36°C. They assessed coagulopathy using several laboratory measures of coagulation (international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, platelet count, thromboelastography) and clinical outcomes (bleeding and stent thrombosis).

The analysis included 171 patients who underwent tar…