Hypothermia as an Adjunctive Treatment in Pediatric Patients with Naegleria fowleri: A Systematic Review

Abstract

We reviewed the literature for pediatric patients infected with Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) to assess the relationship between patient survival and treatment with hypothermia. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed to identify studies describing cases of pediatric N. fowleri infections. We identified 47 studies describing 55 pediatric patients (median age 9-years [range: 5 months-16-years]; 22.6% female [12/53]) with a mortality rate of 85.5% (47/55).