​Chen J, Bellomo R, Flabouris A, Hillman K, Finfer S; MERIT Study Investigators for the Simpson Centre; ANZICS Clinical Trials Group. The relationship between early emergency team calls and serious adverse events. Critical Care Medicine. 2009 Jan;37(1):148-153.

This cluster randomized controlled trial of medical emergency team implementation (the MERIT study) examines the relationship between early emergency team calls and the incidence of serious adverse events — cardiac arrests, deaths, and unplanned admissions to an intensive care unit. The study found that as the proportion of early emergency team calls increases, the rate of cardiac arrests and unexpected deaths decreases.