How Effective Is "Code Freeze'' in Post-Cardiac Arrest Patients?

The use of therapeutic hypothermia or "code freeze'' dates back to over 100 years in attempts to resuscitate injured soldiers, preserve limbs, and to provide analgesia for amputations. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of code freeze through a retrospective review of 187 charts of patients who had a cardiac arrest while hospitalized in a 1-year period. Data were collected to determine which postYcardiac arrest patients received the induced therapeutic hypothermia intervention and why they were selected for induced therapeutic hypothermia. The data were compared with postYcardiac arrest patients who did not receive the code-freeze intervention and why they were not eligible for the intervention. Mortality rates between the 2 patient populations were also compared. The results from this study are presented in this article.