Deteriorating patient and resuscitation team: EMRT – thoughts of the week

March 25, 2019

Message on behalf of the deteriorating patient and resuscitation team:

Decision making can be challenging – this includes decisions about whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation or escalation of treatment will bring realistic benefit to somebody.

These decisions are better made in advance but this is not always possible or does not always happen.

If you meet a patient who has acute life threatening problems, and you consider them to be ‘For Resuscitation / Escalation’ please begin appropriate ABC interventions. This also allows time for review of clinical details and for you to formulate a plan.

We know this sounds like straightforward advice but we also know that it does not happen at times.

The Trust states that appropriate resuscitation and treatment escalation status should be considered, discussed and documented as soon as possible: it should be part of the consultant led review and no later than 12 hours after hospital admission.