Abstract 10336: ECPR 2 : Expert Consensus on PeRcutaneous Cannulation for Extracorporeal CardioPulmonary Resuscitation

Abstract

Introduction: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has emerged as a promising resuscitation strategy for select patients suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), though limited data exists regarding detailed best practices for the complex process of initiating ECPR following OHCA. Hypothesis: Expert consensus using a modified Delphi process can systematically identify detailed best practices for ECPR initiation following adult non-traumatic OHCA. Methods: We utilized a modified Delphi process consisting of two survey rounds and a virtual consensus meeting to systematically identify best practices for ECPR initiation following adult non-traumatic OHCA. A modified Delphi process builds content validity and is an accepted method to develop consensus by eliciting expert opinions through multiple rounds of questionnaires. Consensus was achieved when items reached a high level of agreement, defined as greater than 80% responses for a particular item rated a 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. Results: Snowball sampling generated a panel of 14 content experts, composed of physicians from four continents and four primary specialties. Seven existing institutional protocols for ECPR cannulation following OHCA were identified and merged into a single comprehensive list of 216 items. The panel ultimately reached consensus on 95 items: Prior to Patient Arrival (8 items), Inclusion Criteria (8), Exclusion Criteria (7), Patient Arrival (8), ECPR Cannulation (21), Go On Pump (17), and Post-Cannulation (26). Conclusion: We present a list of essential items for initiation of ECPR following adult non-traumatic OHCA, generated using a modified Delphi process from an international panel of content experts. These findings can benefit centers currently performing ECPR for OHCA in quality assurance and performance improvement, and can serve as a template for new ECPR programs to follow.