Therapeutic hypothermia is one of the few interventions that improve survival after sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) with good neurological outcome. Nowadays, mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) is a well-documented method in emergency medicine. Current guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation recommend this method in patients after the return of spontaneous circulation. Low temperature causes some adaptive responses, e.g. a protective effect in the central nervous system (CNS) and improved neurological status. As a therapeutic method, it is usually applied in the form of mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH), currently referred to as targeted temperature management (TTM, 32–36oC). The aim of the present narrative review was to present the current data and trends regarding the use of TTM in Poland compared to other selected countries. The literature analysis has revealed a relatively positive trend in terms of the method popularity and implementation. However, recent reports clearly demonstrate that it is applied highly too cautiously and insufficiently in Poland compared to other European countries. This is of particular concern as the instances where hypothermia has been used in therapy show that it is truly effective in patients after SCA.

Słowa kluczowe: mild therapeutic hypothermia, sudden cardiac arrest, emergency interventions.