Rev Bras Ter Intensiva. 2013;25(2):99-105 Atuação do time de resposta rápida em hospital universitário no atendimento de código amarelo ORIGINAL ARTICLE INTRODUCTION Hospitalized patients may present conditions of clinical deterioration in hospital units in which the team is not prepared to manage emergencies. Unexpected cardiac arrest in hospitalized patients is frequently preceded by signs of clinical deterioration. (1,2) In situations of clinical instability such as these, early detection and intervention provide opportunities to prevent cardiac arrest and increase safety for inpatients. Such clinical signs are also known as “code yellow” and activate an urgent management call Priscila da Silva Taguti 1 , Adriana Zanoni Dotti 1 , Karinne Peres de Araujo 1 , Paula Silva de Pariz 1 , Gustavo Ferreira Dias 1 , Ivanil Aparecida Moro Kauss 2 , Cintia Magalhães Carvalho Grion 3 , Lucienne Tibery Queiroz Cardoso 3 1. Medical Undergraduated Course, Universidade Estadual de Londrina - UEL - Londrina (PR), Brazil. 2. Hospital Universitário, Universidade Estadual de Londrina - UEL - Londrina (PR), Brazil. 3. Discipline of Critical Care Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina - UEL - Londrina (PR), Brazil. This study was conducted at the Hospital Universitário, Universidade Estadual de Londrina - HU/UEL - Londrina (PR), Brazil. Conflicts of interest: None. Submitted on March 8, 2013 Accepted on May 14, 2013 Corresponding author: Cintia Magalhães Carvalho Grion Zip code: 86048-350 - Londrina (PR), Brazil E-mail: cintiagrion@sercomtel.com.br he performance of a rapid response team in the management of code yellow events at a university hospital Objective: To describe the epidemiological data of the clinical instability events in patients attended to by the rapid response team and to identify prognostic factors. Methods: his was a longitudinal study, performed from January to July 2010, with an adult inpatient population in a hospital environment. he data collected regarding the code yellow service included the criteria of the clinical instability, the drug and non-drug therapies administered and the activities and procedures performed. he outcomes evaluated were the need for intensive care unit admission and the hospital mortality rates. A level of p=0.05 was considered to be signiicant. Results: A total of 150 code yellow events that occurred in 104 patients were evaluated. he most common causes were related to acute respiratory insuiciency with hypoxia or a change in the respiratory rate and a concern of the team about the patient’s clinical condition. It was necessary to request a transfer to the intensive care unit in 80 of the 150 cases (53.3%). It was necessary to perform 42 procedures. he most frequent procedures were orotracheal intubation and the insertion of a central venous catheter. he patients who were in critical condition and had to wait for an intensive care unit bed had a higher risk of death compared to the other patients (hazard ratio: 3.12; 95% CI: 1.80-5.40; p<0.001). Conclusions: here are patients in critical condition that require expert intensive care in the regular ward unit hospital beds. he events that most frequently led to the code yellow activation were related to hemodynamic and respiratory support. he interventions performed indicate the need for a physician on the team. he situation of pent-up demand is associated with a higher mortality rate. ABSTRACT Keywords: Hospital rapid response team; Emergency treatment; Patient safety; Inpatients DOI: 10.5935/0103-507X.20130020