Letter: Promoting Patient Safety

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Spring 2008 - Volume 12 Number 2

To the Editor,

Re: Gould D. Promoting Patient Safety: The Rapid Medical Response Team. Perm J 2007 Summer;11(3):26-34.

Dawn Gould, RN, overstates the literature supporting these teams. One editorial claims: "Rapid Response Systems: move a bit more slowly."1 Although initial small, largely uncontrolled studies appeared favorable, the large, randomized, controlled MERIT trial found "The Medical Emergency Team system greatly increases emergency team calling, but does not substantially affect the incidence of cardiac arrest, unplanned ICU admissions, or unexpected death."2