Is Esophageal Temperature Better to Estimate Brain Temperature during Target Temperature Management in a Porcine Model of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation?

Brain temperature monitoring is important in target temperature management for comatose survivors after cardiac arrest. Since acquisition of brain temperature is invasive and unrealistic in scene of resuscitation, we tried to sought out surrogate sites of temperature measurements that can precisely reflect cerebral temperature. Therefore, we designed this controlled, randomized animal study to investigate whether esophageal temperature can better predict brain temperature in two different hypothermia protocols. The results indicated that esophageal temperature had a stronger correlation with brain temperature in the early phase of hypothermia in both whole and regional body cooling protocols. It means that esophageal temperature was considered as priority method for early monitoring once hypothermia is initiated. This clinical significance of this study is as follows. Since resuscitated patients have unstable hemodynamics, collecting temperature data from esophagus probe is cost-efficient and easier than the catheter in central vein. Moreover, it can prevent the risk of iatrogenic infection comparing with deep vein catheterization, especially in survivors with transient immunoexpressing in hypothermia protocol.