Helium ventilation is safe and feasible in ICU patients admitted after cardiac arrest

Most patients admitted to the ICU after cardiac arrest die or have an unfavourable neurological outcome due to brain damage. Currently, the only treatment to reduce brain injury after cardiac arrest is mild hypothermia. Helium inhalation has shown promising results as a neuroprotective agent in animal models of cerebral infarction. If helium inhalation ameliorates neurological damage by reducing reperfusion injury in humans as well, this could be of great benefit to patients. As no studies exist that investigate the use of helium ventilation in patients after cardiac arrest we investigated whether this treatment is safe and feasible.