Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Rapid Response Team Activations

• Main Authors: Sei Won Kim, Hwa Young Lee, Mi Ra Han, Yong Suk Lee, Eun Hyoung Kang, Eun Ju Jang, Keum Sook Jeun, Seok Chan Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine 2017-05-01
• Series: Korean Journal of Critical Care Medicine
• Subjects: medical emergency team; rapid response system; screening; survival
• Online Access: http://www.kjccm.org/upload/pdf/kjccm-2017-00199.pdf
• ISSN: 2383-4870; 2383-4889

Background To ensure patient safety and improvements in the quality of hospital care, rapid response teams (RRTs) have been implemented in many countries, including Korea. The goal of an RRT is early identification and response to clinical deterioration in patients. However, there are differences in RRT systems among hospitals and limited data are available. Methods In Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, the St. Mary’s Advanced Life Support Team was implemented in June 2013. We retrospectively reviewed the RRT activation records of 287 cases from June 2013 to December 2016. Results The median response time and median modified early warning score were 8.6 minutes (interquartile range, 5.6 to 11.6 minutes) and 5.0 points (interquartile range, 4.0 to 7.0 points), respectively. Residents (35.8%) and nurses (59.1%) were the main activators of the RRT. Interestingly, postoperative patients account for a large percentage of the RRT activation cases (69.3%). The survival rate was 83.6% and survival was mainly associated with malignancy, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II score, and the time from admission to RRT activation. RRT activation with screening showed a better outcome compared to activation via a phone call in terms of the intensive care unit admission rate and length of hospital stay after RRT activation. Conclusions Malignancy was the most important factor related to survival. In addition, RRT activation with patient screening showed a better outcome compared to activation via a phone call. Further studies are needed to determine the effective screening criteria and improve the quality of the RRT system.