Resuscitation
-
Patients who survive after suicidal hanging attempts suffer from transient brain ischaemia. Morbidity and mortality is high, and no specific therapy is available. Hypothermia attenuates ischaemic brain damage and has become standard care in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest; therapeutic hypothermia may thus be useful for near-hanging victims as well. ⋯ No randomised, controlled trial for treatment of near-hanging victims has been published. No conclusions could be drawn regarding treatment effects of hypothermia in this survey, but in the absence of better evidence, it seems reasonable to consider hypothermia treatment in all comatose near-hanging victims.