Target Temperature Management (TTM) after cardiac arrest trial

The brain of a patient resuscitated after cardiac arrest (CA) may have suffered ischaemia and when the spontaneous circulation is re-established, the subsequent reperfusion may cause further damage.

Brain ischaemia and the reperfusion injury lead to tissue degeneration and loss of neurological function, the extent dependent on duration and density of the insult. Temperature control and mild induced hypothermia (MIH) (33-36°C) mitigate this damage in the experimental setting and clinical trials have shown promising results in improving neurological function and survival.

The TTM trial is an investigator-initiated, multicentre, international, randomised trial with 1:1 concealed allocation of OHCA patients to target temperature managements of 33°C or 36°C for 24 hours, with blinded outcome evaluation.

Aims

The primary aim of the TTM trial is to evaluate whether there is a difference in survival with a target temperature of 33°C compared to a target temperature of 36°C, in patients unconscious after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Status

The TTM trial finished recruiting in January 2013. Results were released in November 2013 and the study has now completed.