Rapid response
Formal Definition
An urgent call for a team to evaluate a deteriorating patient before they arrest. Also called RRT (rapid response team).
How It's Used on the Ward
"Call a rapid on this patient" - intermediate urgency between a routine page and a code blue.
Example
""Nurse called a rapid on bed 6 - mental status change, new hypoxia to 88% on room air. Not a code, but he's heading the wrong direction.""
Clinical Context
Rapids are your early warning system. They're called for acute changes: altered mental status, respiratory distress, hemodynamic instability. Better to call one early than a code late.
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