Temperature management system and method for burn patients
View Patent ↗Intravascular closed loop heat exchange catheters are used to manage temperature in burn patients.
1. A method comprising:
advancing a closed loop intravascular heat exchange catheter into the vasculature of a burn patient; and
establishing a desired patient temperature using the catheter, wherein the catheter has plural heat exchange elements, wherein the heat exchange elements are established by plural heat exchange fluid return tubes communicating with a central supply lumen at a distal end of the catheter for carrying heat exchange fluid, each return tube being formed spirally around the supply lumen such that a body fluid flowing past the return tube exchanges heat with the heat exchange fluid flowing therein.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catheter is used to warm the patient during skin graft surgery.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the catheter is used to establish normothermia in the patient should the patient become febrile.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange elements are balloons.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange elements are metal.
6. A method for treating a burn patient comprising:
conducting skin graft surgery on the patient; and
during surgery, countering hypothermia in the patient using a catheter.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the catheter is used to establish normothermia in the patient should the patient become febrile.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the catheter has plural heat exchange elements.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the heat exchange elements are balloons or are metal.
10. The method of claim 6 , comprising using the catheter to undertake at least one central venous line function selected from the group consisting of: infusing medicament into the bloodstream, infusing saline into the bloodstream, and monitoring a patient parameter.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the act of countering hypothermia is executed by circulating working fluid through the catheter such that the working fluid does not enter the bloodstream and exchanges heat therewith.