@article{7866,
  author = {Arthas Flabouris and Jack Chen and Ken Hillman and Rinaldo Bellomo and Simon Finfer and MERIT Study Investigators from the Simpson Centre and the ANZICs Clinical Trials Group},
  title = {Timing and interventions of emergency teams during the MERIT study.},
  abstract = {<p><b>AIMS: </b>To examine interventions and timing of emergency team calls in hospitals with or without a medical emergency team (MET).</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>Interventions were recorded, categorized and classified as critical care interventions (e.g. airway intervention, ventilation and use of inotropic drugs); ward level interventions (e.g. fluids, oxygen by mask); assessment, physical examination and investigations.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Only 5 of the 2376 calls were free of critical care interventions. For non-cardiac arrest-related calls, MET hospitals had a lower proportion of airway, circulation and drug-related interventions and a higher proportion of ward level interventions. The majority of calls were between 0601 and 1200 h and cardiac arrest survival was greatest in the 1200-2400 h period. Overall median time at the scene was 25 min.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Nearly all emergency team calls required critical care type interventions. Emergency team calls show a unique temporal pattern for both MET and control hospitals. These findings have important organizational and resource-related implications for hospitals evaluating and establishing rapid response systems.</p>},
  year = {2010},
  journal = {Resuscitation},
  volume = {81},
  pages = {25-30},
  month = {01/2010},
  issn = {1873-1570},
  doi = {10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.09.025},
  language = {eng},
}