GS14P ROUTINE USE OF MEDICAL EMERGENCY TEAMS IN MANAGING SURGICAL EMERGENCIES

Abstract

Introduction Trauma teams and cardiac arrest teams provide an urgent and expert multi‐disciplinary response to time critical emergencies. The present study documents the contribution of a medical emergency team (MET) to managing non‐trauma surgical emergencies.Materials and Methods Data was prospectively collected over a two year period concerning the contribution of medical emergency teams to the resuscitation of all patients with non‐trauma surgical emergencies and altered vital signs in hospital wards.Results Over the study period, the details of 19 patients with surgical emergencies were recorded. 63% of emergencies occurred outside of normal working hours. In 53% of cases, the surgical registrar was off‐site or physically unavailable to attend the emergency immediately. In 11% of cases, the medical emergency team was activated prior to the arrival of the surgical registrar. In 26% of cases, the patient was left unattended whilst awaiting arrival of the surgical registrar. The medical emergency team provided resuscitation procedures and arranged urgent investigations in all patients, physically transported the patient to the operating theatre in 16% of patients and prepared for general anaesthetic in the operating theatre in 11% of cases. The surgical registrar complemented the medical emergency team response by liaising with consultant surgeons, anaesthetists and operating theatre staff in all cases. All patients received definitive treatment within 30 minutes of MET response.Conclusion Routine use of medical emergency teams in the initial resuscitation of patients with surgical emergencies expedites definitive management.