SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-A Retrospective Chart Review of Rapid Response and Code Blue Events on Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Units at a Quaternary Academic Center

A Retrospective Chart Review of Rapid Response and Code Blue Events on Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Units at a Quaternary Academic Center

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This retrospective chart review examined rapid response and code blue (RRT/CB) events on adult inpatient psychiatry units at a quaternary academic center over two academic years (July 1, 2023–June 30, 2025). The study included five units totaling 70 beds: a crisis stabilization unit, geriatric psychiatry unit, mood disorder unit, psychosis unit, and an intensive care psychiatry unit.<br /><br />The authors reviewed the electronic medical record and compared events with Emergency Response Team records. They found 83 total RRT/CB events involving 56 unique patients, with an overall rate of about one event every nine hospital days. Outcomes varied by unit, but transfer to the emergency department was the most common disposition overall. Nearly half of events resulted in transfer to medicine within seven days. Seven patients died within 30 days of an RRT/CB event.<br /><br />The geriatric psychiatry unit had the highest event burden and the highest short-term mortality. It also had the only in-unit death during the study period, highlighting greater medical acuity in this population. The crisis stabilization unit had the fewest events.<br /><br />The study concludes that patients on adult inpatient psychiatry units often have significant medical comorbidity and can develop serious medical emergencies during psychiatric hospitalization. These findings support the need for stronger medical resources, improved triage protocols, and closer collaboration between psychiatry and medical services to better manage acute medical issues on psychiatric units.

Asset Subtitle

Nicholas Coffey

Meta Tag

Author List Aubrey Chan, Nicholas Coffey

Category Research

Concept Acute Medical Emergency

Concept Rapid Response

Concept Code Blue

Concept Inpatient Psychiatry

Concept Geriatric Psychiatry

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of Iowa Healthcare

Presenting Author Nicholas Coffey

Track Patient Safety

Keywords

rapid response

code blue

inpatient psychiatry

adult psychiatry units

medical emergencies

geriatric psychiatry

retrospective chart review

hospital transfer

mortality

psychiatric hospitalization

Acute Medical Emergency

Rapid Response

Code Blue

Inpatient Psychiatry

Geriatric Psychiatry