An interventional study of Long-term mild hypothermia and Normothermia in Brain Injuries and Craniocerebral Trauma, sponsored by RenJi Hospital. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-13.
Sponsored by RenJi Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study is a prospective multi-centre randomized trial to compare the effect of long-term mild hypothermia versus routine normothermic intensive management in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
The primary hypothesis is that the induction of mild hypothermia (maintained at 34-35℃) for 5 days will improve the outcome of patients at six months post injury compared with normothermia.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of death and disability in people with injuries and constitutes a major public health concern both in developed and developing countries. There are multiple clinical trials of hypothermia therapy for TBI conducted, however, with conflicting results. Subgroup analysis of most meta-analysis showed that therapeutic effect was significant when hypothermia was maintained more than 48 hours. We have previously reported a multicenter trial of mild hypothermia (33-35℃) for severe traumatic brain injury, in which 215 patients was randomized to long-term mild hypothermia group (n = 108) for 5 ±1.3 days mild hypothermia therapy and short-term mild hypothermia group ( n = 107) for 2±0.6 days mild hypothermia therapy. The results shown improved outcomes in patients with long-term mild hypothermia and similar frequency of complications. Therefore we concluded that long-term hypothermia, which maintains at 33-35℃ for 5 days, could be considered in the management of severe traumatic brain injury.
Hypothermia therapy was recommend as the level III evidence by the 2007 Brain Trauma Foundation's guideline and this treatment is currently used in our department and other large neurosurgical centers across China, with the aim to decrease the high intracranial pressure (ICP) and improve the functional outcome of TBI patients. When the decision was made, the injured patients would be placed on cooling blankets, tracheotomized and ventilated. The patients would receive continuous infusions of a paralytic drug (Tracrium 10-40 mg/hour) and chlorpromazine (5-10 mg/hour) administered using an infusion pump to prevent shivering. The dosage was given according to each patient's temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and muscular tone. Once the patient's rectal temperature reached 33˚C, it was kept at approximately that temperature (33-35˚C) 5 to 7 days. Then the patients were passively rewarmed to a temperature of 37 to 38˚C at a rate no greater than 1˚C/hour, by gradual adjustment of the blanket thermostat.
The present multi-center, randomized controlled trials is designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of long-term (5 days) mild hypothermia versus normothermia on the outcome of patients following severe traumatic brain injury. The primary outcome is the neurological function assessed at 1, 6 months post injury with the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS). Additionally, the following data will also be recorded and compared: the baseline data, Glasgow Coma Score,imaging examination (e.g. CT scan), need of surgery, intracranial pressure, laboratory tests (e.g. blood routine test, liver and kidney function, blood gas analysis, etc), the complications (e.g. pneumonia, significant bleeding) and so on.
2,113 studies on the registry are indexed under Brain Injuries; 385 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 312 is above the median of 48 across 1,331 interventional studies indexed under Brain Injuries.
Browse Brain Injuries studies →RenJi Hospital is the lead sponsor of 535 studies on the registry; 244 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Focused intervention
Other: Long-term mild hypothermia
Standard management
Other: Normothermia
Hypothermia will be induced within 6 hours of injury and maintained at 34-35℃ for 5 days.Then the patients will be passively rewarmed to a temperature of 36 to 37˚C at a rate no greater than 0.5˚C/4 hours.
Also known as: Mild hypothermia therapy
Patients assigned to the normothermia group will be kept at 36-37℃.
Neurological function
The neurological function will be evaluated at 6 months post injury by a specialized investigator who is unaware of the patients' allocation according to five-category Glasgow Outcome Scale as follows: 1, death; 2, vegetative state - unable to interact with the environment; 3, severe disability - unable to live independently but able to follow commands; 4, moderate disability - capable of living independently but unable to return to work or school; and 5, good recovery - able to return to work or school.
Time frame: 6 months post injury
Intracranial pressure (ICP) control
The effect of long-term hypothermia on ICP control will be determined.
Time frame: Admission, day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5, day 6, day 7, day 14, or until the monitor is removed
Glasgow Coma Score (GCS)
The neurological function improvement during study intervention will be evaluated.
Time frame: Admission, day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5, day 6, day 7, day 14, day 21, day 28 post injury
Length of ICU stay
The numbers of days in the ICU.
Time frame: 6 months post injury
Length of hospital stay
The numbers of days in the hospital.
Time frame: 6 months post injury
Frequency of complications
Frequency of complications during the the study such as pneumonia, significant bleeding, liver and kidney function abnormality will be recorded and compared between groups.
Time frame: 6 months post injury
Mortality rate
The proportion of death will be determined at 6 months post injury.
Time frame: 6 months post injury
This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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