Can Ice-Cold saline save trauma victims in cardiac arrest?
NCT ID NCT01042015
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a dramatic approach: rapidly cooling trauma patients whose hearts had stopped from severe bleeding. Doctors flushed ice-cold saline into the aorta to induce deep hypothermia, then performed emergency surgery to stop the bleeding before slowly rewarming the patient. The goal was to see if this could help patients survive without major brain damage. Only 20 people were enrolled before the trial was stopped early.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ice-cold saline flush into the aorta
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a way to temporarily preserve trauma patients in cardiac arrest, buying time for surgeons to control bleeding and potentially improve survival without severe disability.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small, early-phase trial that was terminated, so results are limited. The procedure is highly invasive and carries risks like organ damage from extreme cooling or complications from cardiopulmonary bypass.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, United States