Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Ed Yeates ReportingA 48-year-old Salt Lake man has survived a massive heart attack with no damage to his brain because physicians rapidly cooled the inside of his body with a specially designed internal catheter.
Michael Pearson was at work a week ago today, when he suffered a massive heart attack. EMT's rushed him to LDS Hospital, but when he arrived, he was in a coma and already "posturing," as doctors call it, with signs of impending brain damage.
James Revenaugh, M.D., LDS Hospital Cardiologist: "He had neurologic signs which would suggest an unfavorable outcome from a neurological standpoint."
But at bedside, Dr. James Revenaugh and his colleagues inserted this specially designed catheter in Michael's groin. Like a miniature refrigerator coil, cold water flowing through the tube, dropped his internal body temperature by ten degrees in less than fifteen minutes and held it there for 24 hours.
Physicians earlier had opened up the major artery that had blocked blood flow to his heart.
But the cooling is what turned his condition around. Not only did Michael survive, but he left the hospital four days later, and is home now doing well.
Dr. Revenaugh: "It was very impressive because his neurologic function improved very dramatically and very rapidly to the point where he recognized his loved ones and was able to speak and act without any noticeable neurologic damage."
Gayle Pearson, Michael's mother: "Wednesday, my son and I walked in to see him and he looked at me. Hi mom. Hi Rick."
LDS Hospital is now beginning a study to see if rapid internal cooling in the throws of a heart attack will prevent multiple organ damage.
Michael Pearson: "I think it's really great. I had never heard about it before until it happened to me."
Gayle Pearson: "We call it a miracle. We can't quite fathom how it happened so fast."
Michael will continue his recuperation at home, returning to work after the first of the year. But he will go back to work now with no brain damage and no damage to internal organs.
