a new journal emerges

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Editorial A New Journal Emerges W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D. T he use of therapeutic hypothermia in the treatment of severely injured patients is now emerging as an acceptable and effective therapy. Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a new peer-reviewed journal, emerges at a time when increased communication in the field is urgently needed. The Journal will provide a strong multidisciplinary forum to foster greater understanding and awareness of this new emerging therapy and its clinical applications. The Journal will span basic research through clinical application and will en- gage all members of the therapeutic hypothermia clinical team, including physicians, nurses, and first responders. Editorial content will focus on multiple topics including new ongoing work to clarify mechanisms of hypothermic protec- tion. Although therapeutic hypothermia is known to affect several injury cascades felt to be important in producing cell death and long-term functional consequences, temperature mechanisms remain an important research area. The Journal will publish studies that help clarify the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying hypothermic protection. Likewise, mechanisms underlying the detrimental consequences of mild hyperthermia and strategies to rewarm tissues safely after cooling will be emphasized. It is felt that continued study in this area will help advance the continued translation of this ex- perimental therapy to the clinic. Ongoing translational studies that summarize data from clinically relevant animal models of human disease will also be highlighted. It is critical that studies that incorporate bench-to- bedside, bedside-to-bench recommendations are emphasized in this emerging field. Thus use of hypothermia, as well as temperature management procedures, in preclinical models of system or organ injury will also be highlighted. It is felt that the publication of results from experimental models with clinically relevant outcome measures will help define therapeutic win- dows, clarify cooling durations and other factors that may contribute to hypothermia protection. The temperature field has been successful in translating its preclinical findings to specific patient populations. The Jour- nal will continue to emphasize the use of these therapies and treatment modalities in various patient populations. It is an- ticipated that the Journal will also promote the use of cooling strategies for new indications not yet described in the litera- ture. Protecting viable tissues during invasive surgical pro- cedures or during cellular or transplant procedure may ultimately promote tissue survival and better outcomes. In this regard, interesting case reports that provide novel infor- mation concerning the importance of temperature will be published. It is critical that clinical studies and multicenter trials that most rigorously evaluate the effects of temperature management on patient populations are also highlighted by this publication. Randomized multicenter trials are needed in this emerging field to determine efficacy. This new journal will provide a strong multidisciplinary forum to advance the understanding of these treatments. Although therapeutic hypothermia is currently re- commended in several clinical conditions, there remain ques- tions and controversy regarding its use in other applications. We will continue to publish state-of-the-art roundtable dis- cussions that will focus on current topics that require open discussions by experts in the field. These published discussions will allow groups of investigators to have a healthy debate on specific subjects relevant to the readers of the Journal. Review articles summarizing experimental and clinical data on the topic of therapeutic hypothermia and temperature man- agement can significantly contribute to this emerging field. Timely articles allow for organized summaries of published findings and help identify gaps in our knowledge base and fu- ture directions for research programs. Review articles focusing on temperature management in human disorders including trauma, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, stroke, neurogenic fever, emergency and intensive care medicine, anesthesiology, and other indications will therefore be summarized in the Journal. The use of hypothermia and temperature management is continuing to increase worldwide as new indications are identified. However, as potential applications increase, new questions regarding how best to administer hypothermia are being debated in the literature and at scientific conferences. For example, in some situations, surface cooling appears to be the safest and most straightforward approach, while intravascular strategies may have distinctive advantages in other conditions. Likewise, questions regarding whether to cool systemically or regionally may depend on the development of specialized cooling devices that allow therapeutic temperatures to be achieved with minimally invasive strategies. These examples of current and emerging questions and controversies will be highlighted and discussed in this publication. Each issue will include The Arctic Challenge, a Clinical Q&A that will provide practical advice and share knowledge within the community. It is hoped that this publication may aid in the establishment of cooling and temperature management guidelines for the clin- ical setting to ensure best patient outcomes and safety. Our journal will be highly competitive with all articles re- ceiving high caliber peer review. We are fortunate that we have been able to assemble a strong international editorial board along with European and Australasian Editors to en- hance our global presence. We are grateful to our Editorial Board and authors and our reviewers for their support of this new venture. As Editor-in-Chief, I look forward to your active participation in Therapeutic Hypothermia, and welcome your most exciting and informative manuscript submissions. W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief THERAPEUTIC HYPOTHERMIA AND TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT Volume 1, Number 1, 2011 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/ther.2011.1501 1

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Page 1: A New Journal Emerges

Editorial

A New Journal Emerges

W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D.

The use of therapeutic hypothermia in the treatment ofseverely injured patients is now emerging as an acceptable

and effective therapy. Therapeutic Hypothermia and TemperatureManagement, a new peer-reviewed journal, emerges at a timewhen increased communication in the field is urgently needed.The Journal will provide a strong multidisciplinary forum tofoster greater understanding and awareness of this newemerging therapy and its clinical applications. The Journal willspan basic research through clinical application and will en-gage all members of the therapeutic hypothermia clinical team,including physicians, nurses, and first responders.

Editorial content will focus on multiple topics including newongoing work to clarify mechanisms of hypothermic protec-tion. Although therapeutic hypothermia is known to affectseveral injury cascades felt to be important in producing celldeath and long-term functional consequences, temperaturemechanisms remain an important research area. The Journalwill publish studies that help clarify the cellular and molecularmechanisms underlying hypothermic protection. Likewise,mechanisms underlying the detrimental consequences of mildhyperthermia and strategies to rewarm tissues safely aftercooling will be emphasized. It is felt that continued study in thisarea will help advance the continued translation of this ex-perimental therapy to the clinic.

Ongoing translational studies that summarize data fromclinically relevant animal models of human disease will also behighlighted. It is critical that studies that incorporate bench-to-bedside, bedside-to-bench recommendations are emphasizedin this emerging field. Thus use of hypothermia, as well astemperature management procedures, in preclinical models ofsystem or organ injury will also be highlighted. It is felt that thepublication of results from experimental models with clinicallyrelevant outcome measures will help define therapeutic win-dows, clarify cooling durations and other factors that maycontribute to hypothermia protection.

The temperature field has been successful in translating itspreclinical findings to specific patient populations. The Jour-nal will continue to emphasize the use of these therapies andtreatment modalities in various patient populations. It is an-ticipated that the Journal will also promote the use of coolingstrategies for new indications not yet described in the litera-ture. Protecting viable tissues during invasive surgical pro-cedures or during cellular or transplant procedure mayultimately promote tissue survival and better outcomes. Inthis regard, interesting case reports that provide novel infor-mation concerning the importance of temperature will bepublished. It is critical that clinical studies and multicentertrials that most rigorously evaluate the effects of temperaturemanagement on patient populations are also highlighted bythis publication. Randomized multicenter trials are needed inthis emerging field to determine efficacy. This new journal

will provide a strong multidisciplinary forum to advance theunderstanding of these treatments.

Although therapeutic hypothermia is currently re-commended in several clinical conditions, there remain ques-tions and controversy regarding its use in other applications.We will continue to publish state-of-the-art roundtable dis-cussions that will focus on current topics that require opendiscussions by experts in the field. These published discussionswill allow groups of investigators to have a healthy debate onspecific subjects relevant to the readers of the Journal.

Review articles summarizing experimental and clinical dataon the topic of therapeutic hypothermia and temperature man-agement can significantly contribute to this emerging field.Timely articles allow for organized summaries of publishedfindings and help identify gaps in our knowledge base and fu-ture directions for research programs. Review articles focusing ontemperature management in human disorders including trauma,cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, stroke, neurogenic fever,emergency and intensive care medicine, anesthesiology, andother indications will therefore be summarized in the Journal.

The use of hypothermia and temperature management iscontinuing to increase worldwide as new indications areidentified. However, as potential applications increase, newquestions regarding how best to administer hypothermia arebeing debated in the literature and at scientific conferences. Forexample, in some situations, surface cooling appears to be thesafest and most straightforward approach, while intravascularstrategies may have distinctive advantages in other conditions.Likewise, questions regarding whether to cool systemically orregionally may depend on the development of specializedcooling devices that allow therapeutic temperatures to beachieved with minimally invasive strategies. These examples ofcurrent and emerging questions and controversies will behighlighted and discussed in this publication. Each issue willinclude The Arctic Challenge, a Clinical Q&A that will providepractical advice and share knowledge within the community. Itis hoped that this publication may aid in the establishment ofcooling and temperature management guidelines for the clin-ical setting to ensure best patient outcomes and safety.

Our journal will be highly competitive with all articles re-ceiving high caliber peer review. We are fortunate that wehave been able to assemble a strong international editorialboard along with European and Australasian Editors to en-hance our global presence. We are grateful to our EditorialBoard and authors and our reviewers for their support of thisnew venture. As Editor-in-Chief, I look forward to your activeparticipation in Therapeutic Hypothermia, and welcome yourmost exciting and informative manuscript submissions.

—W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D.Editor-in-Chief

THERAPEUTIC HYPOTHERMIA AND TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENTVolume 1, Number 1, 2011ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.DOI: 10.1089/ther.2011.1501

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