Association between in-hospital critical illness events and outcomes in patients on the same ward (December 2016)

Summary

Major critical illness events, such as cardiopulmonary arrest and intensive care unit (ICU) transfer, disrupt workflow in a hospital ward. Other patients on the same ward may receive inadequate attention, especially if their care team is distracted by the emergency. Most studies have concentrated on patient-level variables associated with outcomes.This paper, published by JAMA, looks at the risk to ward occupants associated with patients on the same ward experiencing critical illness.