Therapeutic hypothermia to treat hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in newborns: implications for nurses.

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in newborns is caused by an injury to the brain following a hypoxic or an ischemic event during the peripartum, intrapartum or postpartum period. HIE may result in death or cause serious impairment in survivors, and remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates. Mild hypothermia as a treatment for HIE is commonly used to treat moderate to severe HIE, with promising results. Nurses play an integral role in identifying newborns at risk of developing HIE.