Use of a fixed, body weight-unadjusted loading dose of unfractionated heparin for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Background: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is being used increasingly in the emergency and critical care field in Japan. A major complication of ECPR is bleeding; however, the optimal initial heparin dose and activated coagulation time (ACT) remain unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the appropriateness of our initial anticoagulation protocol.