Hypothermia cap
A hypothermia cap (also referred to as cold cap or cooling cap) is a therapeutic device used to cool the human scalp. Its most prominent medical applications are in preventing or reducing
Worn tight on the head, hypothermia caps are typically made of a synthetic such as neoprene, silicone or polyurethane, and filled with a coolant agent such as ice or gel which is either frozen to a very cold temperature (−25 °C to −30 °C, or −13 °F to −22 °F) before application or continuously cooled by an auxiliary control unit.
In the United States a course of treatment may cost US$1,500 to US$3,000.[1]
Medical uses
Neonatal encephalopathy
In such cases, by slowing down cell metabolism and body functions, a hypothermic cap can be used to lessen a baby's need for oxygen. Research throughout the late 1990s and 2000s demonstrated that for every degree a baby's body temperature is lowered, its body functions and demand for energy slow down by 10 to 15 percent. Therefore, slowing metabolic demands through hypothermia therapy can rectify a mismatch between oxygen supply and cell need, lowering the risk for cerebral palsy.[2]
Among babies who meet the criteria for hypothermia therapy—full-term with no known pre-existing conditions, having neonatal distress, and an abnormal neurological exam[2]—cooling must begin within six hours of birth and body temperature must be maintained at 33–34 °C (91–93 °F) for 72 hours before being gradually warmed again. An alternative to hypothermia caps involves pumping cold water through a specially adapted blanket, cooling the whole body.[3]
Induced pediatric hypothermia was approved in the U.S. by the FDA in March 2007. The most prominent such hypothermia cap which utilizes a cooling unit, a control unit and temperature probes to maintain a steady flow of cool water through a cap covering the head.[4]
Cardiac arrest
A 2008 trial demonstrated that the pre-hospital induction of
Chemotherapy-induced hair loss
Hypothermia caps appear useful to prevent
The first U.S. patent, filed in 1979 and granted in 1984,
Today there are two types of caps; Manual cold caps sometimes referred to as 'Cold Caps/Cold Capping' & machine cooling often referred to as 'Scalp Cooling' However they can be used interchangeably.
There are three major providers of scalp cooling; Penguin Cold Cap, Paxman & Dignitana
Other uses
The use of hypothermia caps has also shown promise in inhibiting
Numerous studies have also suggested that therapeutic hypothermia can provide safe and effective adjunctive treatment for migraine headaches. For instance, a 1989 study in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain showed 64.5% of 45 patients with migraine or migraine plus chronic daily headache evaluated use of a cold wrap for 20 to 30 minutes as mildly, moderately or completely effective.[14] In a 1984 study using a frozen gel pack, 80% of migraine patients reported the pack was effective. Numerous over-the-counter hypothermia caps today offer therapy for headaches.[15]
Side effects
In tests, minor
See also
- Therapeutic hypothermia
References
- PMID 28196237.
- ^ a b Cronin, Fran (January 31, 2012). "What To Do For Oxygen-Deprived Newborns? Cool Them Down". WBUR.org. Retrieved 2012-02-12.
- ^ Laurance, Jeremy (October 1, 2009). "Cooling 'cure' averts infant brain damage". The Independent. United Kingdom.
- ^ "FDA Approves Novel Device That Prevents or Reduces Brain Damage in Infants" (Press release). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. December 20, 2006. Retrieved 2012-02-12.
- S2CID 24467783.
- ^ PMID 15642703.
- S2CID 25031894.
- PMID 22085565.
- ^ US 4425916, Bowen, Mark, "Cap structure for creating temperature controlled environment for reducing alopecia", issued 1984-01-17
- ^ Bowen, Mark. Scalp hypothermia cap. Patent No. D268696 (Drawing). U.S. Patent Office. Filed 1980-08-18, issued 1983-04-19.
- ^ Lawrence, Gary (September 2, 1979). "Cap helps prevent patient's loss of hair in cancer treatment". Valley News. Los Angeles, CA. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016.
- ^ a b Ruttan, Susan (January 27, 2006). "Icy head may reduce stroke". The Windsor Star. p. D10
- PMID 20354545.
- S2CID 42372766.
- PMID 3941818.
- ^ Waknine, Yael (January 3, 2006). "FDA Approvals: Olympic Cool-Cap, Spanner Stent, CellSearch System". MedscapeCME. Retrieved October 8, 2009.