A prospective before-and-after trial of a medical emergency team.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect on cardiac arrests and overall hospital mortality of an intensive care-based medical emergency team.


METHODS
Prospective before-and-after trial in a tertiary referral hospital.


METHODS
Consecutive patients admitted to hospital during a 4-month "before" period (May-August 1999) (n = 21 090) and a 4-month intervention period (November 2000 -February 2001) (n = 20 921).


METHODS
Number of cardiac arrests, number of patients dying after cardiac arrest, number of postcardiac-arrest bed-days and overall number of in-hospital deaths.


RESULTS
There were 63 cardiac arrests in the "before" period and 22 in the intervention period (relative risk reduction, RRR: 65%; P < 0.001). Thirty-seven deaths were attributed to cardiac arrests in the "before" period and 16 in the intervention period (RRR: 56%; P = 0.005). Survivors of cardiac arrest in the "before" period required 163 ICU bed-days versus 33 in the intervention period (RRR: 80%; P < 0.001), and 1353 hospital bed-days versus 159 in the intervention period (RRR: 88%; P < 0.001). There were 302 deaths in the "before" period and 222 in the intervention period (RRR: 26%; P = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest and death following cardiac arrest, bed occupancy related to cardiac arrest, and overall in-hospital mortality decreased after introducing an intensive care-based medical emergency team.
Bellomo
Rinaldo
R
Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne, VIC. Rinaldo.Bellomo@austin.org.au
Goldsmith
Donna
D
Uchino
Shigehiko
S
Buckmaster
Jonathan
J
Hart
Graeme K
GK
Opdam
Helen
H
Silvester
William
W
Doolan
Laurie
L
Gutteridge
Geoffrey
G
D000368:Aged; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011446:Prospective Studies