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Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2016; 37(01): 088-095
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1570352
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Early Warning/Track-and-Trigger Systems to Detect Deterioration and Improve Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients

Ariel L. Shiloh
1   Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York
,
George Lominadze
1   Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York
,
Michelle N. Gong
1   Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York
,
Richard H. Savel
2   Section of Surgical Critical Care, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, New York, New York
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History

Publication Date:
28 January 2016 (online)

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Abstract

As a global effort toward improving patient safety, a specific area of focus has been the early recognition and rapid intervention in deteriorating ward patients. This focus on “failure to rescue” has led to the construction of early warning/track-and-trigger systems. In this review article, we present a description of the data behind the creation and implementation of such systems, including multiple algorithms and strategies for deployment. Additionally, the strengths and weaknesses of the various systems and their evaluation in the literature are emphasized. Despite the limitations of the current literature, the potential benefit of these early warning/track-and-trigger systems to improve patient outcomes remains significant.

Keywords

early warning/track-and-trigger systems - patient safety - patient deterioration - early detection - early response
 

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