The Team Reviews 182 Patient Cases Daily to Identify High Risk Children Early and Provide Intensive Monitoring and Emergency Care

48 Hour ICU Readmission Rate Drops 81.6% After Launch of Pediatric Rapid Response Team, Strengthening Patient Safety

A 7-year-old boy surnamed Kim, who was hospitalized at Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital for a respiratory illness, developed warning signs during treatment, including rapid breathing and decreased oxygen saturation. The Pediatric Rapid Response Team, which was monitoring his condition, detected these changes early and immediately visited the ward to assess his condition. Working with the attending medical team, the team provided necessary respiratory support, including high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy. Thanks to timely intervention before his condition deteriorated, the boy stabilized and was able to continue treatment.

Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital has recently established Korea’s first Pediatric Rapid Response Team (PRRT) to detect early signs of deterioration in hospitalized pediatric patients and intervene proactively. The team also supports safe care throughout emergencies, diagnostic procedures and treatment.

Unlike adults, children have different normal vital sign ranges depending on their age, and their conditions can deteriorate rapidly. Younger children, in particular, may have difficulty accurately communicating their symptoms or changes in their condition. Close monitoring of objective indicators, such as respiratory rate, heart rate and oxygen saturation, along with clinical changes, is therefore essential.

The Pediatric Rapid Response Team at Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital continuously monitors hospitalized pediatric patients in real time to proactively identify those at high risk of clinical deterioration. Team members visit the wards to assess and manage patients directly. If deterioration is detected, they work with the medical staff on site to perform necessary tests and interventions, and promptly coordinate transfer to the intensive care unit when required.

The team consists of 19 dedicated members, including physicians and nurses, and operates through two specialized units: the Pediatric Medical Emergency Team (PMET), which works to prevent deterioration in high-risk pediatric patients, and the Pediatric Advanced Care and Emergency (PACE) team, which supports patient safety throughout diagnostic and treatment procedures.

The PMET is responsible for proactive screening of high-risk patients, regular ward rounds and specialized support during medical emergencies. The PACE team helps ensure that pediatric patients undergo diagnostic procedures and receive treatment safely through services such as sedation for diagnostic examinations and clinical support.

The PMET reviews an average of 182 patient records daily through the hospital’s electronic system to proactively identify high-risk patients and closely monitor changes in their condition through regular ward rounds. In addition to patients identified through electronic screening, the team provides intensive monitoring for patients transferred from the intensive care unit (ICU) to general wards and those requiring ongoing respiratory support. The team continuously monitors patients with upper airway abnormalities and those using home ventilators, high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) or tracheostomy tubes to prepare for potential acute deterioration.

Following the implementation of this dedicated monitoring system for high-risk pediatric patients, the rate of ICU readmission within 48 hours of transfer to a general ward decreased significantly. From February to June this year, the rate fell by 81.6% compared with January. The PMET continues to monitor patients after their transfer from the ICU, enabling early detection of warning signs and timely intervention when necessary.

The PACE team supports the safety of pediatric patients who require close monitoring during diagnostic procedures and other medical care. The team manages patients undergoing procedures that require sedation, accompanies patients during transfers for examinations and treatment, and provides necessary clinical support to ensure safe care outside the ward. In the first half of this year, the team supported a total of 4,180 sedation procedures and other interventions, with no patient safety incidents reported.

Through the operation of the Pediatric Rapid Response Team, Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital aims to strengthen its safety net for providing timely treatment before patients’ conditions deteriorate to critical levels and to minimize serious emergencies, including unexpected ICU admissions and cardiac arrest. The hospital plans to further strengthen proactive screening and bedside ward rounds for high-risk pediatric patients while continuously improving its system for early intervention in response to changes in patients’ conditions.

Professor Yu Gyong Bak, Team Leader of the Pediatric Rapid Response Team at Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital, said, “Children’s conditions can deteriorate rapidly, making it crucial to detect even subtle warning signs early. We will strengthen our patient safety system to identify warning signs promptly and intervene proactively, ensuring that children receive safer care.”