528 Patient Outcomes Post Medical Emergency Team Calls and User Compliance of Track and Trigger Based Observation and Response Chart in Cardiology Patients

Abstract

Early recognition of clinical deterioration has been associated with a lower level of intervention and reduced adverse events. A widely used approach in Australia is the Medical Emergency Team (MET) system. We conducted a prospective observational study of all inpatients under the general cardiology and heart failure(HF) teams for 30 days. Information was collected from the observation chart and the hospital database. There were 23 MET calls for total of 443 patient episodes. The indication for MET call are listed in the table. There were 20 episodes with appropriate modifications in place hence MET was not called. There was only 1 episode where MET call and 4 episodes where preMET call was inappropriately not called. Of the patients (n=27) who met the MET call criteria during their stay, 63% were admitted under HF team. 22% of the patients who met the MET call criteria required a procedure/ device insertion, 15% required ICU admission and 15% died. The average length of stay was 6.41 days. The higher MET call rate in heart failure vs general cardiology patients is expected and reflects the difference in patient population and co-morbidities. Most patients requiring activation of MET system were critically ill, requiring emergency treatment or procedure highlighting importance of this system. Continued exploration of workplace issues influencing the recognition and responses to unmet needs of a deteriorating patient in cardiology ward is recommended.Tabled 1MET criteriaTotal number of callsPulse<40bpm4Pulse>140bpm11SBP<90mmHg4Resp Rate >302RN worried2Total23 Open table in a new tab