Barriers and Facilitators to Performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation During Treatment in Outpatient Hemodialysis Clinics: A Qualitative Study.

Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among patients receiving hemodialysis, and major deficiencies exist in hemodialysis staff-provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Our study aimed to identify factors influencing CPR delivery in the outpatient hemodialysis clinic. Through content analysis of in-depth interviews with 10 staff members of a hemodialysis clinic, we identified three broad themes regarding barriers and facilitators to performing CPR in the hemodialysis clinic: 1) physical and environmental challenges regarding the layout of the clinic; 2) uncertainty about optimal in-clinic CPR procedures, particularly concerning patient positioning and dealing with the hemodialysis machine; and 3) benefit of continuous improvement programs, including hemodialysis-specific protocols, hands-on training, and pre-defined team roles. Our findings call for further investigation of optimal in-clinic resuscitation procedures to inform hemodialysis clinic CPR protocols and hemodialysis staff training.