Mechanical chest compression devices in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation: prerequisite or adjunct? A scoping review protocol

Scoping review protocol, registered prospectively on the Open Science Framework before any search is executed. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is expanding, and mechanical chest compression devices (MCDs) are widely treated as part of its necessary equipment, although no review has mapped whether that assumption has evidence behind it. This review maps the extent, range and nature of the published evidence on whether an MCD is a prerequisite or an optional adjunct for delivering ECPR in adults with cardiac arrest. It charts how guidelines, consensus statements, programme descriptions and primary studies position the device, the justification given, technical and process outcomes by compression modality, and the geography and income setting of the evidence. Reporting follows PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidance.