Modifications to rapid response team (medical emergency team) activation criteria and its impact on patient safety

Modifications to rapid response team (RRT) activation criteria occur commonly in Australian hospitals without evidence to define their use.

To evaluate the effectiveness of RRT activation criteria modifications in preventing RRT activation and differences in adverse events associated with treatment delays caused by modifications.

A prospective chart audit of hospital patients with RRT activation criteria modifications admitted during a 12-month period in a large regional hospital in Toowoomba, Australia. The incidence of RRT activation criteria modifications, RRT activations and rates of adverse events following criteria modifications were investigated. Adverse events were defined as a delayed treatment on the ward, unplanned intensive care unit admission, cardiac arrest and unexpected death. Differences in patient outcomes among medical and surgical patients were also investigated.

A total of 271 patients out of 4009 admitted patients had modifications to their RRT activation criteria. There was no difference in rates of RRT activation in patients with modified criteria compared with patients with unmodified criteria (P = 0.37). In patients with RRT activation criteria modifications, rates of adverse events were higher in patients who met their modified RRT criteria (93.3%) compared with those who did not meet modified RRT criteria (3.8%; P < 0.001). Additionally, in patients with modifications, rates of adverse events were higher in medical patients (27.6%; n = 50) compared with surgical patients (15.6%; n = 14; P = 0.03).

The results strongly suggest that RRT criteria modification is associated with no difference in rates of RRT activation and with detrimental impacts on patient safety, particularly in medical patients.