MARION, NC–McDowell's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is on the pulse of up-to-date treatments. Beginning today, they'll be using therapeutic hypothermia – big words for a relatively simple procedure that could greatly increase the quality of life for cardiac arrest patients.

In layman's terms, it involves lowering a person's body temperature once he's been resuscitated from cardiac arrest.
"The idea behind this concept is to preserve brain and neurological function," said EMS Director William Kehler, "and to preserve or maintain the quality of life of the individual."

According to a recent article in EMS magazine, out of 24,000 EMS agencies in the nation, only about 100 have adopted this protocol. McDowell will be among very few, possibly only two, in the state to use the procedure.