A 46-year-old male has been placed under therapeutic hypothermic care after a myocardial infarction (MI). The nurse correctly explains to the family

  1. “Therapeutic hypothermia increases the production of neurotransmitters in the brain.”
  2. “Therapeutic hypothermia will repair damaged cardiac tissue.”
  3. “Therapeutic hypothermia will help protect the brain from injury by slowing metabolism.”
  4. “Therapeutic hypothermia will slow the heart rate to reduce likelihood of another MI.”
Number 3 is correct.
Rationale: Therapeutic hypothermia is used after an MI as a method to reduce injury to the brain. Hypothermia slows the brain’s oxygen demand by lowering metabolism, and it reduces the production of free radicals and neurotransmitters.