- Section 1 ICU organization and management
- Part 1.1 The intensive care unit
- Chapter 1 Design of the ICU
- Chapter 2 Staffing models in the ICU
- Chapter 3 Rapid response teams for the critically ill
- Chapter 4 In-hospital transfer of the critically ill
- Chapter 5 Pre- and inter-hospital transport of the critically ill and injured
- Chapter 6 Regional critical care delivery systems
- Chapter 7 Integration of information technology in the ICU
- Chapter 8 Multiple casualties and disaster response in critical care
- Chapter 9 Management of pandemic critical illness
- Part 1.2 Communication
- Part 1.3 Training
- Part 1.4 Safety and quality
- Part 1.5 Governance
- Part 1.6 Research
- Part 1.7 Medico-legal and ethical issues
- Part 1.8 Critical illness risk prediction
- Section 2 Pharmacotherapeutics
- Section 3 Resuscitation
- Section 4 The respiratory system
- Section 5 The cardiovascular system
- Section 6 The gastrointestinal system
- Section 7 Nutrition
- Section 8 The renal system
- Section 9 The neurological system
- Section 10 The metabolic and endocrine systems
- Section 11 The haematological system
- Section 12 The skin and connective tissue
- Section 13 Infection
- Section 14 Inflammation
- Section 15 Poisoning
- Section 16 Trauma
- Section 17 Physical disorders
- Section 18 Pain and sedation
- Section 19 General surgical and obstetric intensive care
- Section 20 Specialized intensive care
- Section 21 Recovery from critical illness
- Section 22 End-of-life care
(p. 11) Rapid response teams for the critically ill
- Chapter:
- (p. 11) Rapid response teams for the critically ill
- Author(s):
Ken Hillman
and Jack Chen
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780199600830.003.0003
There is a high incidence of potentially preventable deaths and serious adverse events in acute hospitals. Most of these events occur on the general wards of the hospital. The concept of rapid response systems was developed as a way of identifying seriously-ill and at-risk patients in acute hospitals at an early stage in order to improve outcomes. The system has two major components—criteria to define the deteriorating patient linked to a rapid response. The criteria are based on a combination of abnormal vital signs and observations, and the response is based on matching the patient with staff with the appropriate skills. Implementing and evaluating hospital-wide systems present new challenges that are different to our approach to a new drug or procedure. As well as agreeing to the appropriate criteria and response, the system needs leadership and support across the whole hospital, including education programmes and, monitoring with appropriate quality assurance activities. Increasingly, the specialty of intensive care is designed around the needs of the seriously ill, rather than being geographically confined within the four walls of an intensive care unit. The concept of rapid response systems is part of that process.
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- Section 1 ICU organization and management
- Part 1.1 The intensive care unit
- Chapter 1 Design of the ICU
- Chapter 2 Staffing models in the ICU
- Chapter 3 Rapid response teams for the critically ill
- Chapter 4 In-hospital transfer of the critically ill
- Chapter 5 Pre- and inter-hospital transport of the critically ill and injured
- Chapter 6 Regional critical care delivery systems
- Chapter 7 Integration of information technology in the ICU
- Chapter 8 Multiple casualties and disaster response in critical care
- Chapter 9 Management of pandemic critical illness
- Part 1.2 Communication
- Part 1.3 Training
- Part 1.4 Safety and quality
- Part 1.5 Governance
- Part 1.6 Research
- Part 1.7 Medico-legal and ethical issues
- Part 1.8 Critical illness risk prediction
- Section 2 Pharmacotherapeutics
- Section 3 Resuscitation
- Section 4 The respiratory system
- Section 5 The cardiovascular system
- Section 6 The gastrointestinal system
- Section 7 Nutrition
- Section 8 The renal system
- Section 9 The neurological system
- Section 10 The metabolic and endocrine systems
- Section 11 The haematological system
- Section 12 The skin and connective tissue
- Section 13 Infection
- Section 14 Inflammation
- Section 15 Poisoning
- Section 16 Trauma
- Section 17 Physical disorders
- Section 18 Pain and sedation
- Section 19 General surgical and obstetric intensive care
- Section 20 Specialized intensive care
- Section 21 Recovery from critical illness
- Section 22 End-of-life care