More research 'must be done on hypothermia for brain injury'RSS Feed

More research needs to be done before hypothermia can be relied on during the treatment of brain injury, one expert has said.

Luke Griggs, spokesman for Headway, said that the evidence that hypothermia can be used to treat traumatic brain injury"remains divided" and that more research needs to be done.

"Headway - the brain injury association - welcomes any innovations that may be beneficial in reducing the impact of traumatic brain injury," he said.

These comments follow research from the University of Edinburgh found that cooling the brain gives doctors more time to treat burst or blocked blood vessels in the those who have suffered a stroke.

By using cold intravenous drips and cooling pads, doctors can lower the body temperature to approximately 35 degrees C, which effectively puts the brain into hibernation.

Dr Malcolm Macleod, of the university, said that the procedure could potentially improve the outcome of stroke for more than 40,000 Europeans each year.

Serious Law, award winning traumatic brain injury law firm

Posted by Matthew Dixon
 

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