Hipotermia terapéutica y su papel en la neuroprotección del paciente crítico pediátrico

Therapeutic hypothermia has been defined as an induced and controlled drop in core body temperature below 36 °C. The main potential benefit of therapeutic hypothermia is neuroprotection, decreasing neuronal damage and optimizing patient outcomes. It is a strategy that has been used with good results in neonates and there is evidence for some clinical conditions in adults, however, the evidence in the pediatric population has not been conclusive and even though studies have been carried out on this type of therapy, it still exists doubts about its benefits and possible complications, as well as about its effectiveness. In this article, an updated review of the subject is carried out, evaluating the pediatric evidence, with special emphasis on its usefulness in severe traumatic brain injury, post cardiac arrest syndrome and status epilepticus, entities for which therapeutic hypothermia has been used as a possible management strategy.