A healthcare professional at PAHT has been invited to present his research into how to identify patients who may be at imminent risk of suffering a cardiac arrest at a national conference.
Matthew Ibrahim, lead resuscitation practitioner, has collected and analysed vital data and developed a new pilot cardiac arrest prediction tool. He will be recognised for ‘best abstract for oral presentation’ when he attends the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Congress today (21 September), as part of the deteriorating patient workstream.
Evidence has suggested that the majority of cardiac arrests that occur within a hospital setting are generally not unexpected. Up to 80% of these patients show signs of physiological deterioration prior to cardiac arrest. Currently, the PAHT team use the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) to help recognise those patients who are at risk of deterioration. The basis of NEWS is that staff undertake clinical observations on patients e.g. pulse and blood pressure, and a score is apportioned to each. The higher the score, the more at risk of deterioration the patient may be.
Matthew noted that this system, which is used nationally, could not identify every imminent cardiac arrest. He therefore started his data analysis project and developed a new pilot cardiac arrest prediction tool that uses other parameters not currently captured by other early warning tools e.g. NEWS. The pilot prediction tool uses a mixture of biochemical markers and changes in clinical observations, and it is hoped that with further validation, it can be used alongside the NEWS to help clinical staff recognise those patients who are at risk of deterioration earlier and take action.
Matthew said: “I am pleased that this hard work is being recognised at a national level.
“Patient safety is our absolute priority and it is brilliant to be able to share this work with others at such a prestigious forum. I hope to undertake pilot studies of the new prediction tool in time, both locally and nationally.”
Dr Fay Gilder, medical director, said: “I am delighted to see Matthew invited to contribute to this conference, with a focus on patient safety.
“This is testament to the commitment to improving patient care that is a cornerstone of PAHT and our value of patient at heart.”