Therapeutic hypothermia for the treatment of child after drowning with prolonged QT interval

Therapeutic hypothermia is a neuroprotective method of treatment used after cardiac arrest, but the effects of hypothermia on the body and the heart are not completely clear. It is known that the therapeutic hypothermia prolongs the duration of the QT interval, which increases the likelihood of life threatening arrhythmias. There are various discussions about whether therapeutic hypothermia can be used in patients with long QT syndrome and the effect of medical refrigeration on changes in heart rate. We present a clinical case in which a patient aged 13 years after drowning was resuscitated, using external defibrillation with a presence of ventricular vibrations. Having restored the blood flow and detected an extended QT interval, without knowing its exact etiology, the therapeutic hypothermia was applied in order to avoid significant neurological damage. During the therapeutic hypothermia and subsequent heating, life threatening cardiac arrhythmias did not recur. After a complete restoration of the core temperature, transitory minor neurological dysfunction and fluctuations in the duration of the adjusted QT interval were observed during the period of hospitalization