Hypoxic cardiopulmonary arrest with full recovery after induced hypothermic therapy.

Case: The patient's chart was reviewed, summarized, and presented.

Outcome: A 41-year-old male collapsed after complaining of dyspnea just before the end of a hemodialysis session. He was just being introduced to hemodialysis. The patient's percutaneous oxygen saturation dropped to 50% even under inhalation of 10 L/minute of oxygen and he developed pulseless electrical activity. After tracheal intubation, a return of spontaneous circulation was noted. His truncal CT disclosed a bilateral diffuse ground glass appearance and pleural effusion were noted. Induced mild hypothermic therapy and mechanical ventilation resulted in the improvement of his respiratory function and consciousness. A coronary angiogram and left ventriculography showed no significant lesion, and his pulmonary edema was considered to have been induced by over-hydration due to renal failure, diastolic heart failure or dialysis disequilibrium syndrome. He was discharged without any neurological deficit.

Conclusion: Tracheal intubation with ventilation for hypoxic cardiopulmonary arrest and induced hypothermic therapy after obtaining spontaneous circulation may be factors of favorable outcome of this case.