Patient Deterioration: Role of Rapid Response Teams and ABCDE Approach

This report provides an overview of rapid response teams (RRTs) and their crucial role in healthcare, particularly in managing deteriorating patients. It highlights the composition and functions of different healthcare teams, emphasizing the role of nurses within RRTs. The importance of teamwork, leadership, and effective communication is discussed, particularly in the context of managing deteriorating patients. The report also details comprehensive patient assessment strategies, focusing on the ABCDE approach (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure), and underscores the necessity of addressing life-threatening factors promptly. The benefits of using the ABCDE approach for patient assessment are outlined, emphasizing its effectiveness in acute medical and surgical emergencies. The report concludes that RRTs, supported by effective teamwork and assessment strategies like ABCDE, are vital for improving patient outcomes in critical situations. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and study resources for students.

Assessment 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Role of rapid response team.........................................................................................................3
Different teams used in healthcare...............................................................................................3
Role of nurses in rapid response teams........................................................................................4
Importance of team work and leadership in rapid response team................................................4
Importance of effective communication while managing deteriorating patients.........................5
Comprehensive patient assessment in deteriorating patients.......................................................5
Assessment strategies and observations used in ABCDE approach............................................6
Importance of treating life threatening factors before next stage................................................6
Benefits of using ABCDE approach for patient assessment........................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Rapid response team is also known as medical emergency team who come together to
bring critical care and their expertise to the bedside. The main aim of this team is to provide care
to the patients whenever required (Subbe, and et.al.., 2019). There are different types of teams
which play an important role in different healthcare context. Moreover, effective communication
is also very important managing the patients.
MAIN BODY
Role of rapid response team
Rapid response teams are employed by the healthcare providers to identify the needs and
requirements while providing associated response to the deteriorating patients. This is done
outside the intensive care unit. Such team helps in providing significant reassurance for the
patients and their families in context of healthcare (Subramaniam, and et.al., 2021). They have
become very common. Rapid team helps in reducing the preventable deaths in healthcare
organizations and consist of ICU personnels which asses the treatment of deteriorating patients
outside ICU with heavy signs deterioration and at a risk of cardiac arrest. These systems help in
improving care for the patients at the end of their life and are expected to continue evolving with
the novel developments in the monitoring technologies, predicting the risks and work in other
human factors. These teams are like safety nets which provides deterioration monitors which are
linked to the team of responders capable in providing critical care resources to patient.
Different teams used in healthcare
Different teams are important in increasing complexity of specialized care. The evolution
of healthcare and a global demand for having the quality of the patients care is done by the
parallel healthcare professional developments which includes a focus on patient centred
teamwork approach. Different types of teams will help in delivering exceptional care to the
patients. The nature of these teams is varied and complex and work together to attain a best care
to the patients in context of healthcare (Hartin and Walker, 2017). The different types of teams
are:

Core teams: They are directly related to caring for patients and consists of team leaders and
members who provide the care directly. These include nurses, dentists, pharmacists and doctors.
Core teams also include case managers.
Coordinating teams: They are responsible for the managing the operations within the healthcare
organisation. They perform coordinating functions and manages the resources for the core team.
Contingency teams: These teams are formed with the emergencies or during specific events
such as cardiac arrest, disaster response teams and so on.
Support service and administrations: These teams provide indirect task specific services
present in the healthcare facility for support services. It includes executive leadership of the
facilities. These teams are accountable for 24 hours for the overall functioning within the
healthcare organization.
Ancillary team: The role of this team is to provide group support services which facilitate the
healthcare for the patients such as cleaners and other domestic staff.
Role of nurses in rapid response teams
Nurses in rapid response plays a role of providing intensive care and do an assessment on
the patient which includes the most recent critical signs, labs and eve the medication followed by
the patient. Nurses facilitate care on prior basis until the patient is stable and transferred by the
nursing supervisor. They assist with transportation for the unstable patients and provides higher
level of care. Nurses advocate and care for the individuals while supporting them through the
health and illness. Along with this, nurses in rapid response monitor the health of the patient and
record any associated signs. They also administer medications and minor treatments.
Importance of team work and leadership in rapid response team
Effective team work and team leadership are important for the patient's safety as it helps
in minimising the adverse events which can be caused due to miscommunication within the rapid
response team. Moreover, it helps in providing quality within patient care while reducing the
workload issues which can cause burnout among the healthcare professionals (Ward, and et.al.,
2018). Team leadership is used consists of assigning different roles to the members of rapid
response system, this will in dividing responsibility and will provide quick response during the
time of any emergency. Along with this, team work helps in reducing any medical errors and

improves the patient mortality rates. It also leads to help in attaining better staff outcomes which
includes reducing stress and increasing the job satisfaction. The effective collaboration will help
in generating improved efficiency and increase patient satisfaction as well.
Importance of effective communication while managing deteriorating patients
Timely and effective communication about the patient's deterioration is essential for the
safety of patient. Effective clinical communication regarding the patient deterioration can be a
complex process. Poor communication can lead to discontinuity of the care, delays in the
important treatment and even some adverse events in some cases. Effective communication is
helpful in managing the protecting patients, save the costs and increase the operating efficiency
on daily basis. Moreover, effective communication is beneficial in providing increased access to
the medical histories which reduces the chances of having any medical errors. During the time of
deterioration, it is important that clinicians are able to access appropriate emergency assistance
which will help in avoiding any adverse events (Stevens, Galloway and Willemsen-Dunlap,
2020). The healthcare providers encouraging the open communication obtain complete
information and enhances the prospect of attaining more accurate diagnosis. It helps in
facilitating appropriate counselling which will improve the treatment plans which benefits long
term health.
Comprehensive patient assessment in deteriorating patients
Comprehensive health assessment helps in providing the nurses with insights regarding
the patient's physical health status with the help of observation and identifying different signs
along with self reported symptoms. This assessment includes medical history and consists of
general survey which involves complete physical examination. The most sensitive indication for
a potential deterioration is the rising respiratory rate which is an early sign if deterioration which
involves increased work of breathing (Smith, and Bowden, 2017). The focus of this
comprehensive assessment is focusing on specific body system which is related to presenting a
problem along with other current concerns. It provides an acute assessment which is important as
it helps in differentiating the normal conditions for the deteriorating patients. Comprehensive
health assessment establishes the needs of patient which are important in diagnosing and testing
along with additional medical care.

Assessment strategies and observations used in ABCDE approach
The ABCDE approach includes airway, breathing, circulation, disability and exposure
approach. This assessment is applicable during all the clinical emergencies where there is need
for immediate assessment and treatment. This approach is used to improve the outcomes and
helps the healthcare professionals to focus more on life threatening clinical problems. Using
ABCDE approach to have a complete assessment of the patient and treat the patient. Complete
initial assessment is done to reassess on regular basis. Life threatening problems are treated
before moving to the other part of the assessment. Lastly, there is assessment of effects of the
treatment done. The assessment strategies done in ABCDE approach includes:
Airways which is voice breath sounds and is treated by tilting the head and lifting up the chin for
oxygen suction. Breathing, the assessment of respiratory rate, chest wall movements, percussion
and pulse auscultations (Initial assessment and treatment with airway, breathing, circulation,
disability, exposure (ABCDE approach, 2012). This is treated by the inhaled medications and
bag mask ventilations. Circulation is assessed by skin colour, sweating, blood pressure and
electrocardiography monitoring. The bleeding is stopped by elevating the legs. The assessment
of disability is done by level of consciousness and limb movements along with pupillary light
reflexes. Lastly, exposure is assessed by exposed skin temperature and is treated by suspected
cause.
Importance of treating life threatening factors before next stage
It is important to treat the factors which can be life threatening before moving on to the
next stage of the treatment as these factors produces high risks and can lead to adverse conditions
when not treated at right time. It helps in assessing previous medication which guides the next
stage of treatment.
Benefits of using ABCDE approach for patient assessment
ABCDE approach is used as a strong clinical tool which is important for the initial
assessment and treating the patients in an acute medical or even surgical emergencies. It helps in
determining the seriousness of any condition while prioritizing the initial clinical interventions.
This approach for patient assessment helps in providing life saving treatment and to break down
the complex clinical situations in manageable parts (Fernández-Méndez, and et.al., 2019). This

approach helps in establishing common situational awareness among the treatment providers, It
also provides time before having a final diagnosis and treatment. ABCDE approach is a strong
clinical tool which is beneficial in initial assessment and treatment of patients during
emergencies which includes both pre- hospital first aid and in hospital treatments. It helps in
enhancing the overall team efforts and improving the patient outcome.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that rapid response systems plays a vital part in the case of a
deteriorating patients. The modern healthcare system runs with having different team which
helps in providing easy approach for the complexities towards providing a care for a patient.
Nurses hold an important pillar within a rapid response team while handling a case of
emergency. Team work and team leadership makes the healthcare services more efficient and
resulting in the best patient outcome. ABCDE is an approach for the patient assessment which
aims of many important factors. The each part of this approach work with different assessment
strategy and generates an overall assessment.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Subbe, and et.al.., 2019. Quality metrics for the evaluation of Rapid Response Systems:
Proceedings from the third international consensus conference on Rapid Response
Systems. Resuscitation, 141, pp.1-12.
Subramaniam, and et.al., 2021. Risk perception and emotional wellbeing in healthcare workers
involved in rapid response calls during the COVID-19 pandemic: A sub-study of a
cross-sectional survey. Australian Critical Care.
Hartin, J. and Walker, J., 2017. Rapid response systems supporting end of life care: time for a
new approach. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 78(3), pp.160-164.
Ward, and et.al., 2018. Using co-design to develop a collective leadership intervention for
healthcare teams to improve safety culture. International journal of environmental
research and public health, 15(6), p.1182.
Stevens, R., Galloway, T. and Willemsen-Dunlap, A., 2020. Approaches for inserting
neurodynamics into the training of healthcare teams. Neuroergonomics: Principles and
Practice, pp.251-269.
Smith, D. and Bowden, T., 2017. Using the ABCDE approach to assess the deteriorating
patient. Nursing Standard (2014+), 32(14), p.51.
Fernández-Méndez, and et.al., 2019. ABCDE approach to victims by lifeguards: How do they
manage a critical patient? A cross sectional simulation study. Plos one, 14(4),
p.e0212080.
Online
Initial assessment and treatment with airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure
(ABCDE approach, 2012. [Onine]. Available
through:<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273374/>