An Observational Analysis of Medication Use During 5,727 Medical Emergency Team Activations at a Tertiary Referral Hospital

Abstract

Background: Medical emergency teams (METs) rescue deteriorating patients as the response arm of hospital rapid response systems. This study aimed to (1) investigate medication use during MET activations by describing the type, frequency and access sources of medications; and (2) assess associations between patient characteristics, MET activation criteria, and outcomes and MET medication use. Methods: A single-center, retrospective study from a prospective database of MET activations in an Australian tertiary referral hospital was undertaken. Consecutive adult MET activations over a 12-month period were included. Results: Across the study period, there were 5,727 MET activations with medicati..