The protocol of Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERACS) in congenital heart disease: a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial

BackgroundThe Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERACS) programs are comprehensive multidisciplinary interventions to improve patients' recovery. The application of the ERAS principle in pediatric patients has not been identified completely.MethodsThis study is a multicenter, stepwise design, cluster randomized controlled trial. 3030 patients presenting during control and intervention periods are eligible if they are aged from 28 days to 6 years old and awaiting elective correction surgery of congenital heart disease with cardiopulmonary bypass. 5 centers are randomly assigned to staggered start dates for one-way crossover from the control phase to the intervention phase. In the intervention periods, patients will receive a bundle strategy including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative approaches. During the control phase, patients receive the usual care. The primary outcome consists of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and acute kidney injury (AKI).DiscussionThis study aims to explore whether the bundle of ERAS measurements could improve patients' recovery in congenital heart surgery.Trial registrationhttp://www.clinicaltrials.gov. (NCT05914103).