By Rebecca Teuma Custo & Dr Josef Trapani
A literature review entitled 'The impact of rapid response systems on mortality and cardiac arrests – A literature review' has recently been published within the journal Intensive and Critical Care Nursing by Rebecca Teuma Custo and Dr Josef Trapani.
The following is the abstract to the review:
Background
Rapid response systems were created to improve recognition of and response to deterioration of general ward patients.
Aim
This literature review aimed to evaluate the evidence on whether rapid response systems decrease in-hospital mortality and non-intensive care unit cardiac arrests.
Method
Six databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SCOPUS, Web of Science and PubMed) were systematically searched for primary studies published between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2017, recruiting general ward patients, where the intervention involved introducing/maintaining a rapid response system, the comparison referred to a hospital setting without a rapid response system and the outcomes included mortality and cardiac arrests.
Results
Fifteen studies met eligibility criteria: one stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial, one concurrent cohort controlled study and thirteen historically controlled studies. Thirteen studies investigated mortality of which seven reported statistically significant findings in favour of rapid response systems. Thirteen studies investigated cardiac arrests, of which eight reported statistically significant findings in favour of rapid response systems.
Conclusion
More information can be acquired online.