Can proactive rapid response team rounding improve surveillance and reduce unplanned escalations in care? A controlled before and after study.

BACKGROUND: Unplanned escalations manifest as a breakdown of hospital care attributable to clinician error through missed or delayed identification of physiological instability, ineffective treatment, or iatrogenic harm. OBJECTIVES: To examine the impact of an Early Warning Score-based proactive rapid response team model on the frequency of unplanned intra-hospital escalations in care compared with a rapid response team model based on staff nurse identification of vital sign derangements. DESIGN: Pre- and post Early Warning Score-guided proactive rapid response team model intervention. SETTING: 237-bed community hospital in the southeastern United States. PARTICIPANTS: All hospitalized adults (n = 12,148) during a pre- and post-intervention period. METHODS: Logistic regressions used to examine the relationship between unplanned ICU transfers and rapid response team models (rapid response team vs. Early Warning Score-guided proactive rapid response team). RESULTS: Unplanned ICU transfers were 1.4 times more likely to occur during the rapid response team baseline period (OR = 1.392, 95% CI [1.017-1.905]) compared with the Early Warning Score-guided proactive rapid response team intervention period. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a difference in the frequency of unplanned escalations using different rapid response models, with fewer unplanned ICU transfers occurring during the use of Early Warning Score-guided proactive rapid response team model while accounting for differences in admission volumes, age, gender and comorbidities. Implementation of this model has implications for patient outcomes, hospital operations and costs.

Postoperative emergency response team activation at a large tertiary medical center.

OBJECTIVE: To study characteristics and outcomes associated with emergency response team (ERT) activation in postsurgical patients discharged to regular wards after anesthesia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified all ERT activations that occurred within 48 hours after surgery from June 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009, in patients discharged from the postanesthesia care unit to regular wards. For each ERT case, up to 2 controls matched for age (±10 years), sex, and type of procedure were identified. A chart review was performed to identify factors that may be associated with ERT activation. RESULTS: We identified 181 postoperative ERT calls, 113 (62%) of which occurred within 12 hours of discharge from the postanesthesia care unit, for an incidence of 2 per 1000 anesthetic administrations (0.2%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed the following factors to be associated with increased odds for postoperative ERT activation: preoperative central nervous system comorbidity (odds ratio [OR], 2.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-5.32; P=.01), preoperative opioid use (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.30-3.10; P=.002), intraoperative use of phenylephrine infusion (OR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.08-8.66; P=.04), and increased intraoperative fluid administration (per 500-mL increase, OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.12; P=.03). ERT patients had longer hospital stays, higher complication rates, and increased 30-day mortality compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Preoperative opioid use, history of central neurologic disease, and intraoperative hemodynamic instability are associated with postoperative decompensation requiring ERT intervention. Patients with these clinical characteristics may benefit from discharge to progressive or intensive care units in the early postoperative period.