Lions S, et al. - In this study involving 205 patients who suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (with 131 undergoing mild therapeutic hypothermia [MTH]), researchers assessed the factors that modulate the extent of QTc prolongation and potential arrhythmogenic consequences during MTH. Measurements of QTc at baseline, 3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours (end of hypothermia), 48 hours and 72 hours were obtained. They also quantified ventricular arrhythmias. A strong impact of female gender and a moderate influence of concomitant anoxic brain injury on QTc prolongation during MTH was found. MTH did not result in a greater overall risk for ventricular arrhythmias, the development of Torsade de pointes may occur when other contributing factors coexist.