Therapeutic hypothermia with intracorporeal temperature monitoring for hypoxic perinatal brain injury
Summary
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Therapeutic hypothermia with intracorporeal temperature monitoring for hypoxic perinatal brain injury.
Description
Hypoxic perinatal brain injury is caused by lack of oxygen in a baby's brain during labour and/or delivery. It can lead to death or permanent brain damage. Therapeutic hypothermia (deliberate lowering of the body temperature) aims to cool the brain soon after birth and for several days afterwards to prevent brain damage. It is done by cooling either the baby's head with a purpose-made cap, or the whole body with a purpose-made blanket or mattress. The baby's temperature is measured throughout to ensure that the right amount of cooling is used. After cooling, the baby's temperature is gradually returned to normal.
OPCS4.6 Code(s):
X51.1 Hypothermia therapy
The NHS Classifications Service of NHS Connecting for Health is the central definitive source for clinical coding guidance and determines the coding standards associated with the classifications (OPCS-4 and ICD-10) to be used across the NHS. The NHS Classifications Service and NICE work collaboratively to ensure the most appropriate classification codes are provided. www.connectingforhealth.co.uk/clinicalcoding
Details
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
British Association of Perinatal Medicine
Royal College of Midwives
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Nurses
Contact details:
(for procedure specific enquiries or comments)
ip@nice.org.uk
Interventional Procedures Programme
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
MidCity Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6NA
Links:
This page was last updated: 15 August 2011
