In-Hospital Rapid Response Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Unrecognized clinical deterioration in patients on general hospital wards (also known as failure to rescue) is associated with very high morbidity and mortality around the world. Data surrounding these deteriorations and their outcome is severely underreported in sub-Saharan African, but the scarce data available suggest unacceptably high incidence of cardiopulmonary arrests, many of which are not witnessed. Rapid response programs have been shown to mitigate the risks of failure to rescue in many parts of the world. With commitment and careful planning, similar programs are possible in sub-Saharan Africa as evidenced by recent successful implementation of a rapid response program at a teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. The successful implementation of this program required close attention to necessary system processes and holds as an example for wider implementation in hospitals in other sub-Saharan African countries.