Hospital Size and Location and the Feasibility of the Medical Emergency Team

Abstract

Despite the best efforts of hospital medical and nursing staff, serious adverse events and unexpected deaths are an unfortunate facet of medicine in the modern-day hospital. Although the overall burden of such events may be higher for teaching hospitals, all medical institutions can develop a system for the identification of and care management for seriously unwell ward patients, and are likely to benefit from its introduction. This system should be tailored to meet the burden of events and to incorporate the most appropriately trained personnel available within the hospital. A somewhat imperfect system may initially be deployed, but this should not be a justification for inaction. Even an i..