Tibballs J, Kinney S, Duke T, Oakley E, Hennessy M. Reduction of paediatric in-patient cardiac arrest and death with a medical emergency team: Preliminary results. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Nov 2005;90(11):1148-1152.

This article describes a study which intended to determine the impact of a paediatric medical emergency team (MET) on cardiac arrest, mortality, and unplanned admission to intensive care in a paediatric tertiary care hospital.  The study concluded that the introduction of a medical emergency team service was coincident with a reduction of cardiac arrest and mortality and a slight increase in admissions to intensive care.

Krinsley JS. Effect of an intensive glucose management protocol on the mortality of critically ill adult patients. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2004;79(8):992-1000.

A glucose management protocol was adopted by a university-affiliated community teaching hospital in a 14-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit. It involved using intensive monitoring and treatment to maintain plasma glucose levels lower than 140mg/dL.

DeVita M. Medical emergency teams: Deciphering clues to crises in hospitals. Critical Care. 2005 Aug;9(4):325-326.

Patient deterioration often precedes cardiac arrest in hospitals. If the deterioration is recognized and treated, often death can be prevented. This article looks at how Rapid Response Teams, or as they are referred to in this article, medical emergency teams (MET), can be used to intervene before a catastrophic event.

Bellomo R, Goldsmith D, Uchino S, et al. A prospective before-and-after trial of a medical emergency team. Medical Journal of Australia. 2003;179(6):283-287.

This article describes a study whose purpose was to determine the effect on cardiac arrests and overall hospital mortality of an intensive care-based medical emergency team. The incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest and death following cardiac arrest decreased after introduction of an intensive-care-based medical emergency team, as did overall hospital mortality.

Simmonds T. Best-practice protocols: Implementing a rapid response system of care. Nursing Management. 2005:36(7):41-42,58-59.

Rapid Response Teams provide a method for sending experts to the bedside to assist with patient evaluation and treatment before clinical deterioration progresses to cardiac arrest.

Hillman K, Chen J, Cretikos M, et al. Introduction of the medical emergency team (MET) system: A cluster-randomised controlled trial. Lancet. Jul 2005;365(9477):2091-2097.

A study of 23 hospitals in Australia to determine whether Medical Emergency Teams (MET) — also known as Rapid Response Teams — reduce the rate of cardiac arrests, unplanned admissions to intensive care units, and deaths. Eleven hospitals functioned as usual and 12 introduced a MET system. The authors concluded that, although the introduction of the MET system led to an increase in calls to the team, it did not substantially affect the incidence of cardiac arrest, unplanned ICU admissions, or unexpected death.

Parr MJ, Hadfield JH, Flabouris A, Bishop G, Hillman K. The medical emergency team: 12 month analysis of reasons for activation, immediate outcome and not-for-resuscitation orders. Resuscitation. Jul 2001;50(1):39-44.

This article describes a study which attempted to describe the reasons for, and immediate outcome following Medical Emergency Team (MET) activation. The three most common criteria for calling the MET were a fall in Glasgow Coma Scale >2, systolic blood pressure <90mmHg, respiratory rate >35.  A high proportion of patients required admission to intensive care. Patients for whom a NFR order should be considered were identified.

Kerridge RK, Saul WP. The medical emergency team, evidence-based medicine and ethics. Medical Journal of Australia. Sep 2003;179(6):313-315.

This article suggests that the quest for evidence is providing scientific justification for institutional inertia, and that further delay in implementing Medical Emergency Team (MET) systems may even be viewed as unethical.

Salodof MacNeil J. ICU transfer delays may be deadly. Medscape Medical News [serial online]. May 2004.

This article is about a new study that says delays in transferring patients in deteriorating condition to intensive care units can mean reduced chances for survival and for retaining enough function to return home.

Bellomo R, Goldsmith D, Uchino S, Buckmaster J, Hart G, Opdam H, Silvester W, Doolan L, Gutteridge G. Prospective controlled trial of effect of medical emergency team on postoperative morbidity and mortality rates. Critical Care Medicine. 2004 Apr;32(4):916-921.

The introduction of an intensive care unit-based medical emergency team in a teaching hospital was associated with a reduced incidence of postoperative adverse outcomes, postoperative mortality rate, and mean duration of hospital stay.