The performance of a rapid response team in the management of code yellow events at a university hospital.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological data of the clinical instability events in patients attended to by the rapid response team and to identify prognostic factors.

Methods: This was a longitudinal study, performed from January to July 2010, with an adult inpatient population in a hospital environment. The data collected regarding the code yellow service included the criteria of the clinical instability, the drug and non-drug therapies administered and the activities and procedures performed.