[Thoracic lavage and open cardiac massage as treatment of hypothermic cardiac arrest--case report].

Cardiopulmonary bypass is the treatment of choice for a severely hypothermic patient with cardiac arrest. However, the treatment is not always available. We describe a successful three-and-a-half hour resuscitation of a hypothermic cardiac arrest patient with manual chest compressions followed by open cardiac massage and rewarming with thoracic lavage.