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When our patients with cardiogenic shock require venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), would they benefit from hypothermia? Investigators in France addressed this question, randomizing patients with cardiogenic shock who were within 6 hours of intubation and treatment with ECMO to moderate hypothermia (33–34°C) or normothermia (36–37°C). Their primary outcome was 30-day mortality; there were 31 secondary outcomes. They calculated their sample size based on 80% power to detect a 15% relative reduction in an expected 50% mortality.
The researchers analyzed data on 334 patients with a mean age of 58 years. The mortality rate was 42% in the moderate hypothermia group and 51% in the normothermia group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.71…