Failure to rescue: a preliminary study of patient-level factors.

This study explored patient-level factors associated with failure to rescue (FTR). The overall incidence of FTR in 5 Midwestern hospitals was 0.03%, which is much lower than reported in other studies. Five key patient parameters were found to be statistically significant, but subtle, indicators of impending FTR. These were changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, serum sodium levels, and urine output. Use of patient-level data allows for more accurate reporting of actual FTR events.