Recent study has highlighted the beneficial effects of cooling the brain of a newly revived cardiac arrest patient. Cooling the brain in such cases can increase the chances of survival and decrease the chances of brain damage.

In the recent study, a portable device was used to cool brains of people who suffered a cardic arrest.   

During the study, a new device known as RhinoChill was used to cool brain of cardic arrest patients. In this device, developed by Denise Barbut, MD, chairman of BeneChill, coolant is introduced through nasal prongs. The new device is battery powered hence it can be easily used by emergency medical technicians in the field while giving the patient a CPR.

The study was based on the data collected from 182 patients. Data analysis revealed that 37% of the study subjects treated with the cooling device during resuscitation had good neurological function as compared to 18% patients who got standard resuscitation only at the time of discharge from the hospital.

Data also showed that 47% of patients who were resuscitated with cooling survived to hospital discharge as compared to 31% who were resuscitated without their brains being cooled.

Maaret Castrén, MD, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm said, "Cooling the brain fast and really early is critical to success."