IMPACT OF SPECIALIZED EMERGENCY TEAMS ON REDUCING AVOIDABLE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ADMISSIONS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Avoidable admissions in intensive care units (ICUs) represent a challenge for patient safety and hospital sustainability. Specialized emergency teams, such as Rapid Response Teams (RRT) and Medical Emergency Teams (MET), have been developed to identify early clinical deterioration in patients, preventing in-hospital mortality. This literature review summarizes the latest evidence on the impact of these teams in reducing avoidable ICU admissions. Analysis of the studies shows that RRTs/METs are associated with decreased hospital mortality, reduced cardiopulmonary arrests, and lower rates of emergency transfers to the ICU, although there is variability between different institutional contexts (SESSIM-FILHO J, et al., 2025; KWANTONG C, et al., 2023; TEE A, et al., 2023; EDDAHCHOURI Y, et al., 2022; VEERAPPA S, et al., 2023; TRAN A, et al., 2020; THEILEN U, et al., 2017; WHEBELL SF, et al., 2021). It is concluded that the implementation of these teams is an effective strategy for improving patient safety and optimizing resources.