The University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center received approval to begin a clinical trial that will look at whether cooling down the body of a patient whose heart has stopped will give doctors more time to save their life.
The study, funded by the Department of Defense, builds on other research that found that bringing body temperature down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit has saved the lives of patients in cardiac arrest, though not those in a state of trauma.
Shock Trauma had to go through a special "community consent" process to begin the study because the patients it will see may not be conscious and able to agree to participating in a research study. Community consent involves seeking broad community support by providing information at neighborhood meetings, church events and through other means, in lieu of permission from individuals.
The community consultation study was reviewed by the FDA and approved by an institutional review board at the University of Maryland.
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