This systematic review identified three critical points that can contribute to “failure to rescue” among inpatients with serious complications – (1) failure to recognize the complications; (2) failure to relay information regarding the complications to the care team, and; (3) failure to react in a timely and appropriate manner to the patient’s deterioration. Effective tools and interventions which can be implemented during each timepoint are discussed, including increased nurse staffing, rapid response teams, checklists, and early warning score systems.