Rewarming of the hypothermic rhesus monkey with electromagnetic radiation.

To obtain more detailed information relative to the potential usefulness of using radio frequency (RF) energy in treating hypothermia, anesthetized rhesus monkeys were used in a rewarming study that compared a conventional method (heating pad) with an RF induction coil system. Rectal temperature (Tre) of each subject was monitored, and enzyme and isoenzyme levels were determined from blood samples collected before, during, and up to 48 h after hypothermia in order to assess the effects of each rewarming method. The previously observed postprocedure rise in serum enzymes (most visible at 24 h) was again seen, with no statistically significant difference in the time course of serum enzyme levels between the two treatments for comparable durations of hypothermia. To test the limits of the ability of the RF induction coil system, successively more severe hypothermia was induced in the subjects to the point of cardiovascular collapse (Tre less than 20 degrees C); RF energy was successful in resuscitating the profoundly hypothermic subjects without discernible harmful effects.