[en] Introduction: Induced hypothermia is, since the beginning of the 21st century, the treatment of choice in term newborns diagnosed with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, by which the patient's body temperature is decreased to reduce damage and even avoid the death. - Objectives: To review the scientific literature to assess the current status of therapy with induced hypothermia in term infants diagnosed with moderate and severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. - Development: Retrospective descriptive study of bibliographic review. The documents search was carried out in the CINAHL, DialNet, LILACS, IBECS, MEDLINE and PubMed databases, using both the DeCS "Hipotermia inducida" and "Hipóxico-Isquemia Encefálica" and their corresponding MeSH. Finally, 10 articles are selected for their review. - Discussion: After analyzing the selected documents, a consensus was found in the different opinions of the authors and in the ways of proceeding with the therapy, providing similar and mostly conclusive results. - Conclusion: Induced hypothermia must be performed before 6 hours from the start of the encephalopathy by "whole-body cooling" with servo-temperature control mechanisms, reaching sppedly body 33.5°C and maintaining them for 72 hours, not being absolutely contraindicated after 6 hours, having to carry out and individualized assessment in each case. Due to this need to act quickly, the protocolization of interhospital transfers in passive hypothermia and the presence of multidisciplinary personnel properly trained in this technique is considered vital.

[gl] Introdución: A hipotermia inducida é, dende principios do século XXI, o tratamento de elección nos recén nados a término diagnosticados de encefalopatía hipóxico-isquémica moderada ou grave, mediante a cal disminúese a temperatura corporal do paciente para reducir os danos e inclusive evitar o falecemento. - Obxectivos: Realizar unha revisión da bibliografía científica para valorar o estado actual da terapia con hipotermia inducida en recén nados a término con encefalopatía hipóxico-isquémica. - Desenvolvemento: Estudio descriptivo con carácter retrospectivo de revisión bibliográfica. A búsqueda de documentos levóuse a cabo nas bases de datos CINAHL, DialNet, LILACS, IBECS, MEDLINE e PubMed, empleando tanto os DeCS "Hipotermia inducida" e "HipóxicoIsquemia Encefálica" coma os seus MeSH correspondentes. Finalmente, escóllense 10 artigos para proceder á súa revisión. - Discusión: Tras analizar os documentos seleccionados, apréciase consenso nas distintas opinións dos autores e nas formas de proceder coa terapia, aportando desta maneira resultados similares e na súa maioría concluíntes. - Conclusión: A terapia con hipotermia inducida débese realizar antes das 6 horas dende o inicio da encefalopatía mediante "whole-body cooling" con mecanismos de servo-control da temperatura, acadando rápidamente os 33,5°C corporais e manteñéndoos durante 72 horas, non estando absolutamente contraindicada unha vez pasadas esas 6 horas, debéndose realizar una valoración individualizada en cada caso. A causa desta necesidade de celeridade na actuación, resulta vital a protocolización dos traslados interhospitalarios en hipotermia pasiva e a presenza de personal multidisciplinar correctamente entrenado nesta técnica.