Hospital ‘SWAT’-Like Team Saves Lives

A portable Intensive Care Unit rapidly responding to patients at a Canadian hospital has saved 80 lives in one year, it was reported.

The SWAT-like team of intensive care specialists has helped reduce heart attacks by 7 percent and respiratory arrests by 25 percent at the University Health Network’s Toronto General Hospital.

By responding quickly, we can prevent patients from getting so sick that their heart stops or they stop breathing, Dr. Stuart Reynolds of Toronto General Hospital said in a statement. Despite what television or the movies show, if a patient’s heart stops while in the hospital, the chances of survival are poor — about 12 percent.

The outreach team — composed of an intensive care unit physician, nurse and respiratory therapist — is available 24 hours a day. Every patient who is discharged from the ICU is automatically followed for 48 hours, and staff are educated about any symptoms which would indicate that the patient’s condition is worsening.

We provide that extra set of eyes and ears to help the teams on the wards, said Mugs Zweerman, an ICU nurse with the critical care outreach team. We’re a welcome resource for staff.