Development, implementation, and refinement of a comprehensive postcardiac arrest care training course in Japan

Tomoyuki Endo; David F Gaieski; Ken Nagao; Hiroshi Nonogi; Migaku Kikuchi; Hideki Arimoto; Mamoru Hase; Shunji Kasaoka; Satoshi Takeda; Hiroyuki Hanada; Yoshio Tahara; Hiroshi Takahashi; Yasuhiro Kuroda; Nagayama Masao; Hisao Matsushima; Japanese Circulation Society Emergency and Critical Care Committee

doi:10.1002/ams2.794

Development, implementation, and refinement of a comprehensive postcardiac arrest care training course in Japan

Acute Med Surg. 2022 Oct 20;9(1):e794. doi: 10.1002/ams2.794. eCollection 2022 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Tomoyuki Endo¹, David F Gaieski², Ken Nagao³, Hiroshi Nonogi⁴, Migaku Kikuchi⁵, Hideki Arimoto⁶, Mamoru Hase⁷, Shunji Kasaoka⁸, Satoshi Takeda⁹, Hiroyuki Hanada¹⁰, Yoshio Tahara¹¹, Hiroshi Takahashi¹², Yasuhiro Kuroda¹³, Nagayama Masao¹⁴, Hisao Matsushima¹⁵; Japanese Circulation Society Emergency and Critical Care Committee

Affiliations

¹ Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital Emergency Medicine Sendai Japan.
² Department of Emergency Medicine Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia PA USA.
³ Nihon University Hospital Cardiovascular Center Tokyo Japan.
⁴ Osaka Aoyama University Osaka Japan.
⁵ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Emergency and Critical Care Center Dokkyo Medical University Tochigi Japan.
⁶ Department of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Iseikai Hospital Osaka Japan.
⁷ Sapporo Teishinkai Hospital Cardiovascular Center Sapporo Japan.
⁸ Disaster Medical Education and Research Center Kumamoto University Hospital Japan.
⁹ Jikei University Hospital Emergency Medicine Tokyo Japan.
¹⁰ Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine Emergency and Disaster Medicine Aomori Japan.
¹¹ National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Osaka Japan.
¹² Steel Memorial Muroran Hospital Cardiovascular Department Muroran Japan.
¹³ Kagawa University Hospital Emergency, Disaster Critical Care Medicine Kagawa Japan.
¹⁴ Graduate School of Medicine Department of Neurology International University of Health and Welfare Chiba Japan.
¹⁵ Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center Saitama Japan.

Abstract

Aim: In Japan, no training course is dedicated to postcardiac arrest care (PCAC), including venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO); thus, faculty members of the Japanese Circulation Society developed an original, comprehensive PCAC training course. This report reviews the development, implementation, and refinement of this PCAC training course.

Methods: We examined the preserved data from the Japanese Circulation Society PCAC training courses between 2014 and 2020. Data related to the learning content and number of the attendees and instructors were collected and summarized.

Results: Sixteen courses were held between August 2014 and February 2020, before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A total of 677 health care providers participated: 351 doctors, 225 nurses, 62 perfusionists, five emergency medical professionals, and two pharmacists. Thirty-two attendees' data were missing. The core learning contents of all the courses included a standardized postcardiac arrest algorithm, targeted temperature management, VA-ECMO cannulation skills, and postcannulation management. Concerning curriculum evolution, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation simulation, postarrest neurological examination and monitoring, and ultrasound-guided Seldinger technique training were added in the 4th, 5th, and 13th courses, respectively.

Conclusion: The Japanese Circulation Society PCAC training course has been developed and refined to provide an organized, comprehensive opportunity for health care providers to acquire specific knowledge and skills in PCAC and VA-ECMO.

Keywords: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; postcardiac arrest syndrome; simulation training; targeted temperature management; venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.