Predictors of Second Medical Emergency Team Activation Within 24 Hours of Index Event.

This study explored the trajectory of patients who remained on a general unit after medical emergency team activation. Of those who had a second activation within 24 hours, 80% occurred within 12 hours of the baseline activation. Chest pain and recent intensive care unit discharge were associated with having a second activation.

Please release me: restraint reduction initiative in a health care system.

A quality improvement initiative was undertaken to reduce restraint use in 4 acute care hospitals within a single health system. A variety of initiatives and interventions were used including the following: implementation of multidisciplinary rounds on restrained patients, increased availability of restraint alternatives, development of unit-based restraint champions, and education of both staff and health care providers about restraints. The health care system has maintained a quarterly restraint prevalence rate of less than 2.