Why does targeted temperature management (TTM) for post-cardiac arrest patients prevent fever above a specified range, such as 32-36°C, after the initial cooling phase?

💡 Explanation

TTM aims to prevent secondary brain injury by tightly controlling body temperature via hypothalamic set-point modulation. Because the hypothalamus acts as the body’s thermostat, its set-point must be lowered and maintained to prevent shivering and fever. Therefore, the hypothalamic thermoregulatory set-point is reset, rather than inducing permanent vasoconstriction or completely inhibiting cytokine production.

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