'Score to Door Time', a benchmarking tool for rapid response systems: a pilot multi-centre service evaluation.

Introduction: Rapid Response Systems were created to minimise delays in recognition and treatment of deteriorating patients on general wards. Physiological 'track and trigger' systems are used to alert a team with critical care skills to stabilise patients and expedite admission to intensive care units. No benchmarking tool exists to facilitate comparison for quality assurance.

Comparison of two clinical scoring systems in risk stratification of non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome patients in predicting 30-day outcomes.

Background: Non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS) confer a broad range of risk of adverse outcomes following presentation to an emergency department. This study compares the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk scoring system with the used but untested, Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales Cardiac Network (CMNW) NSTEACS risk stratification system in predicting the adverse outcomes of re-admission to hospital with either a NSTEACS or death at 30 days post presentation.

Method: Once a diagnosis of NSTEACS was made, patients were risk scored, then case notes were retrieved 30 days later.