Implementation of an Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Simulation Program Reduces Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Times in Real Patients*

Abstract

There are no standard guidelines of how a team should coordinate the efforts of nursing, physicians, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation specialists, surgeons, respiratory therapists, patient care technicians, and unit clerks to emergently execute this complex procedure. Because time is of the essence, it is essential to develop a highly functioning and well-coordinated team with a standardized method of the procedure, its documentation, and communication. Simulation accomplished this for our program. Following these simulation exercises, not only was there a subjectively observed improved coordination and smoother deployment of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in real-life extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but we have also demonstrated a significantly faster deployment of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as compared with the presimulation era.