INTRODUCTION: The efficacy of a specialized pediatric cardiac rapid response team is unknown. We hypothesized that a specialized cardiac rapid response team would facilitate team-wide communication between the cardiac stepdown unit and cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) teams and improve patient care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A specialized pediatric cardiac rapid response team was implemented in June 2015. All pediatric cardiac rapid response team activations and outcomes from implementation through December 2018 were reviewed. Cardiac arrests and unplanned transfers to the cardiac ICU were indexed to 1000 patient-days to account for inpatient volume trends and evaluated over time. RESULTS: There were 202 cardiac rapid response team activations in 108 unique patients during the study period. After implementation of the pediatric cardiac rapid response team, unplanned transfers from the cardiac stepdown unit to the cardiac ICU decreased from 16.8 to 7.1 transfers per 1000 patient days (p = 0.012). The stepdown unit cardiac arrest rate decreased from 1.2 to 0.0 arrests per 1000 patient-days (p = 0.015). There was one death on the cardiac stepdown unit in the 5 years since the implementation of the cardiac rapid response team, compared to four deaths in the previous 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: A reduction in unplanned cardiac ICU transfers, cardiac arrests, and mortality on the cardiac stepdown unit has been observed since the implementation of a specialized pediatric cardiac rapid response team. A specialized cardiac rapid response team may improve communication and empower the interdisciplinary care team to escalate care for patients experiencing clinical decline.
INTRODUCTION: The efficacy of a specialized pediatric cardiac rapid response team is unknown. We hypothesized that a specialized cardiac rapid response team would facilitate team-wide communication between the cardiac stepdown unit and cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) teams and improve patient care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A specialized pediatric cardiac rapid response team was implemented in June 2015. All pediatric cardiac rapid response team activations and outcomes from implementation through December 2018 were reviewed. Cardiac arrests and unplanned transfers to the cardiac ICU were indexed to 1000 patient-days to account for inpatient volume trends and evaluated over time. RESULTS: There were 202 cardiac rapid response team activations in 108 unique patients during the study period. After implementation of the pediatric cardiac rapid response team, unplanned transfers from the cardiac stepdown unit to the cardiac ICU decreased from 16.8 to 7.1 transfers per 1000 patient days (p = 0.012). The stepdown unit cardiac arrest rate decreased from 1.2 to 0.0 arrests per 1000 patient-days (p = 0.015). There was one death on the cardiac stepdown unit in the 5 years since the implementation of the cardiac rapid response team, compared to four deaths in the previous 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: A reduction in unplanned cardiac ICU transfers, cardiac arrests, and mortality on the cardiac stepdown unit has been observed since the implementation of a specialized pediatric cardiac rapid response team. A specialized cardiac rapid response team may improve communication and empower the interdisciplinary care team to escalate care for patients experiencing clinical decline.
Authors: Alaina K Kipps; Steven C Cassidy; Courtney M Strohacker; Margaret Graupe; Katherine E Bates; Mary C McLellan; Ashraf S Harahsheh; Samuel P Hanke; Ronn E Tanel; Susan K Schachtner; Michael Gaies; Nicolas Madsen Journal: Cardiol Young Date: 2018-06-28 Impact factor: 1.093
Authors: Bradley S Marino; Sarah Tabbutt; Graeme MacLaren; Mary Fran Hazinski; Ian Adatia; Dianne L Atkins; Paul A Checchia; Allan DeCaen; Ericka L Fink; George M Hoffman; John L Jefferies; Monica Kleinman; Catherine D Krawczeski; Daniel J Licht; Duncan Macrae; Chitra Ravishankar; Ricardo A Samson; Ravi R Thiagarajan; Rune Toms; James Tweddell; Peter C Laussen Journal: Circulation Date: 2018-04-23 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: J F Rhodes; A D Blaufox; H S Seiden; J D Asnes; R P Gross; J P Rhodes; R B Griepp; A F Rossi Journal: Circulation Date: 1999-11-09 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Mathias J Holmberg; Sebastian Wiberg; Catherine E Ross; Monica Kleinman; Anne Kirstine Hoeyer-Nielsen; Michael W Donnino; Lars W Andersen Journal: Circulation Date: 2019-09-23 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Jane W Newburger; David Wypij; David C Bellinger; Adre J du Plessis; Karl C K Kuban; Leonard A Rappaport; Daniel Almirall; David L Wessel; Richard A Jonas; Gil Wernovsky Journal: J Pediatr Date: 2003-07 Impact factor: 4.406
Authors: Michael Gaies; David S Cooper; Sarah Tabbutt; Steven M Schwartz; Nancy Ghanayem; Nikhil K Chanani; John M Costello; Ravi R Thiagarajan; Peter C Laussen; Lara S Shekerdemian; Janet E Donohue; Gina M Willis; J William Gaynor; Jeffrey P Jacobs; Richard G Ohye; John R Charpie; Sara K Pasquali; Mark A Scheurer Journal: Cardiol Young Date: 2014-08-28 Impact factor: 1.093
Authors: Richard J Brilli; Rosemary Gibson; Joseph W Luria; T Arthur Wheeler; Julie Shaw; Matt Linam; John Kheir; Patricia McLain; Tammy Lingsch; Amy Hall-Haering; Mary McBride Journal: Pediatr Crit Care Med Date: 2007-05 Impact factor: 3.624
Authors: Shu-Ling Chong; Mark Sen Liang Goh; Gene Yong-Kwang Ong; Jason Acworth; Rehena Sultana; Sarah Hui Wen Yao; Kee Chong Ng Journal: Resusc Plus Date: 2022-06-29