Student Abstracts

The Effectiveness of a Rapid Response Team

Background: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) 100,000 Lives Campaign targets changes in care proven to prevent avoidable deaths in hospitals. The goal of the 100,000 Lives Campaign, is to save lives across the country. In 2004, IHI encouraged American hospitals to implement Rapid Response Teams (RRT). The use of RRTs was one of six lifesaving strategies recommended by the IHI to improve patient’s outcomes. Deployment of RRT at the first sign of patient decline is crucial. Failure to recognize changes in a patient’s condition until major complications, including death, have occurred is referred to as failure to rescue.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the use of a RRT in a 525 bed hospital and to compare the number and location of cardiac arrests since the implementation of the RRT.

Method: This study used a descriptive, retrospective design. Data was collected from medical records of patients who were seen by the RRT. Data collected compared the number of cardiac arrests and mortality before and after the implementation of the RRT.

Results:  The number of cardiac arrests from January 2004 to January 2005 had 679 cases with an average monthly volume of 52.2 (+-) 8.5 cardiac arrests. The number of cardiac arrests from March 2005 through December 2006, had 872 cases with an average monthly volume of 39.6 (+-) 8.7 cardiac arrests, (t = 4.2, df = 33, t-test comparing sample means, and P < 0.01). More than 50% of patients seen by the RRT remain on the unit that called upon the RRT.

Conclusion: This study lends supports to the effectiveness of the RRT. The number of cardiac arrests had a significant decrease. A larger sample warrants further exploration.