Arctic Sun 5000 for therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest

The technology described in this briefing is Arctic Sun 5000. It is used for therapeutic body temperature management.

The innovative aspects are that it is less invasive than endovascular systems and is designed to cool more efficiently than conventional external methods because of the adhesive, repositionable gel pads it uses. It works by adjusting the water temperature in the gel pads every 2 minutes in response to the patient's body temperature, which is constantly monitored using a probe.

The intended place in therapy would be instead of standard surface cooling systems to induce mild hypothermia in people who are comatose after having a cardiac arrest in or out of hospital, and for subsequent rewarming.

The main points from the evidence summarised in this briefing are from 4 studies (2 randomised controlled trials and 2 comparative observational studies), including a total of 362 adults. Arctic Sun 5000 appears to achieve therapeutic cooling faster than standard cooling blankets and takes about the same time as endovascular cooling systems. In the randomised study comparing it with endovascular cooling, people in the Arctic Sun 5000 group had significantly fewer complications (bleeding and sepsis). But there was no significant difference in adverse effects in the randomised study comparing Arctic Sun with surface cooling. No studies showed a statistically significant difference in clinical outcomes between Arctic Sun 5000 and either surface or endovascular cooling methods.

Key uncertainties around the evidence are the lack of studies showing a difference in clinical outcomes between Arctic Sun 5000 and other cooling methods.

The cost of Arctic Sun 5000 is £20,600 (exclusive of VAT), with a cost per patient of between £696.69 and £833.17 per treatment. The resource impact is uncertain. Arctic Sun 5000 would represent an increased cost compared with conventional cooling blankets, but this may be offset if less staff time is needed to operate it, or if it resulted in fewer complications. Arctic Sun 5000 may cost less than endovascular cooling systems while offering similarly effective cooling, and may have a reduced risk of complications.