The Effects of Mild Hypercapnea on Brain Function and Neurological Outcomes

For the past 10 years, we have undertaken a program of research to understand the potential therapeutic role of arterial carbon dioxide management in patients after cardiac arrest. A large retrospective observational registry-based study looked at outcomes of over 16,500 patients who were admitted to intensive care. In each patient and at each time point that we exposed them to a deliberate short-time period of mild hypercapnea, the oxygen values went up. The trial itself was a multi-center investigator initiated open label parallel group International Randomized Control Trial.