Training the component steps of an extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) cannulation outside the clinical setting

Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) cannulation can be a stressful procedure because a fast cannulation is vital for the patient's survival. Therefore, it is important to train the steps of cannulation outside the clinical setting. A relatively low budget, easy to use model, was developed to train the most important steps of an ECMO cannulation. Following this, it was evaluated by experts and target group participants. They all completed a questionnaire regarding their experience and opinions on the ECMO model on general aspects and the training of the component steps, rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Twenty-one participants completed the questionnaire. The features and steps of the model were rated with a mean of 3.9 on average. The haptics of the landscape scored least, with a mean of 3.6, although the haptics of the vessels scored highest with 4.0. The rating of the component steps showed that only 'opening of the vessels' was scored significantly different between the expertise levels (means experts: 4.0, target group: 3.4, p = 0.032). This low budget model is considered to be a valid tool to train the component steps of the ECMO cannulation, which could reduce the learning curve in the a stressful clinical setting. Level of evidence: II prospective comparative study.