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Excerpt
Materials and Methods: For initial treatment in emergencies a physician with fundamental experience in emergency medicine as well as the Opera staff trained in logistics and medical basic emergency algorithms create a rapid response team (RRT). The team is demanded via a central alerting system operated pager. A room with complete emergency equipment such as defibrillator, ecg, oxygen and emergency bags was set up in the centre of the building. All emergency cases since the initiation in 2001 were evaluated to challenge the proceedings' benefit. Therefore emergency documentation performed was retrospectively analyzed.
Results and Discussions: Within a six year period the RRT was demanded in 291 cases of emergency. The team was on scene within a maximum of 5 minutes of call. Patients were in average 63 years of age [14-88] and 68% of the patients were female. In 56% the RRT was confronted with cardiac, pulmonary and metabolic emergencies. Surgical emergency was documented in 31.6%, neurological emergency in 3.8% and psychiatric emergency was reported in 3.8%. In 10.6% of all cases patients tripped on stairs and fell. NACA score 1 and 2 were found in 64.2%. 20.6% were classified with NACA 3. NACA 4 was documented for 8.2% and in 5.1% NACA 5. Three cases of cardiac arrest occurred during this six year period, 1 person died. 23% of all patients were admitted to hospital immediately by ambulance.
Conclusion(s): The introduction of an own rapid response team with a specialized physician in highly frequented public institutions such as theaters and opera houses enables an early detection and treatment of severe emergency and ensures reliable evaluation of enhanced treatment or hospital admission.
