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The Challenge of Predicting In-Hospital Cardiac Arrests and Deaths

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Abstract

In this chapter, we first explore the similarities and differences between the current hospital crisis of iatrogenic patient deaths, which are now the fourth most common cause of death in UK,1 and the sixth most common in US,2 and the theories that have been used to explain and manage organizational crises that occur in other industries. We then critically examine the studies to date that attempt to predict the in-hospital patient management crises. Finally, we examine the place of hard defenses such as electronic monitoring and alert systems to protect patients from the healthcare system. In the longer run, there needs to be a significant and fundamental change to the “soft defenses,” such as the training of all our frontline healthcare workers, so that such potential patient crises are predicted and managed earlier to prevent iatrogenic morbidity and mortality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rural Clinical School, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 3513, Burnie, TAS, 7320, Australia

    Michael Buist

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  1. Michael Buist
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Correspondence to Michael Buist .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Dewey Street 125, Edgewood, 15218-1407, Pennsylvania, USA

    Michael A. DeVita

  2. Liverpool Hospital, Dept. Intensive Care, University of New South Wales, Locked Bag 7103, Liverpool, 1871, New South Wales, Australia

    Ken Hillman

  3. Dept. Intensive Care, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Studley Road, Heidelberg, 3084, Victoria, Australia

    Rinaldo Bellomo

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Buist, M. (2011). The Challenge of Predicting In-Hospital Cardiac Arrests and Deaths. In: DeVita, M., Hillman, K., Bellomo, R. (eds) Textbook of Rapid Response Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92853-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92853-1_10

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