A technique in use at Charlottetown's Queen Elizabeth Hospital since 2009 is improving the outcomes of some people who've had cardiac arrest.

About 50 per cent of patients treated with the cooling protocol after cardiac arrest can returne to normal life, says nurse Margie Burns. (CBC)

The cooling protocol was first introduced at the hospital by nurse Margie Burns. Burns had been working as a nurse in Scotland, and she first saw the technique at the hospital there.

Under the protocol the patient's body's temperature is deliberately lowered after they have been resuscitated in order to protect the brain from damage. Patients are given cold IV fluids and then covered in a special blanket that's filled with ice water. They are sedated during the procedure and given a paralyzing drug to stop any shivering.

Eighteen cooling cases have been done at the QEH since 2009. Burns said before using the cooling protocol only about 20 per cent of patients were able to return to normal life after cardiac arrest. With the protocol that rate has gone up to 50 per cent.

There are some risks to reducing patients' temperatures for 24 hours, but Burns said patients are monitored closely to make sure they are stable.

Burns recently won a quality and patient safety award at the QEH for her work.