Dr. Robert Mearns One Midlands resident has a warm feeling toward some cold treatment. She was the first patient to benefit from Lexington County's revolutionary new heart treatment, called Therapeutic Hypothermia.

This patient, who prefers not to reveal her identity, had suffered cardiac arrest, that is, her heart stopped completely when she had a heart attack in December. The EMT crews were able to revive her pulse, but she remained unconscious upon arrival at the Lexington Medical Center emergency room. That's when the physicians began the hypothermia treatment reducing her body temperature to 90 degrees.

After some hours of the super- chilling, her body temp was brought back to normal, and brain function was restored, returning her to consciousness.

Dr. Robert Mearns was the emergency physician on duty when this event occurred. He is enthusiastic about the possibilities for improved health in heart- attack vic- tims.

"In the past, statistics have been dreadful for this type of case," he says. "Survival has not always meant a return to normal, principally because brain function suffers during the period of a heart attack. This procedure will probably triple the success rate for restoring normal brain function and a chance for an active life."

Other benefits accrue as well. Hypothermia is not a high- risk procedure, nor is it as costly as some other high- tech treatment options. "There's very little downside," according to Dr. Mearns.

LMC's equipment is made by Arctic Sun, and simulates immersion in water by the application of ArcticGel pads which contain cold liquid. The benefits of cooling the body to improve recovery have been known for centuries: Hippocrates himself advocated wartime treatment of packing wounded soldiers in snow and ice. Napoleon's surgeon noted soldiers kept cold had higher survival rates than those kept warm near a fire. And victims who have fallen through ice can survive extended durations in cold water.

Dr. Mearns said that not every patient is eligible for this approach to treatment.

"Clinical tests have not yet cleared this for children. Also, those who are terminally ill and persons with bleeding difficulties should not be put into hypothermia."

As for the cost, since the patient's long- term prognosis is so much better, it is a very cost- effective procedure, reducing the need for rehab and expediting a return to a home environment.

Dr. Mearns and Lexington Medical Center look forward to increasing opportunities to improve the outlook for heart patients with their new technology.