Rarity of Respiratory Arrest in ED?

TL;DR

This study analyzes the frequency of respiratory arrests in UK hospital emergency departments, revealing it is more common than previously thought and providing data relevant to legal cases involving hospital staff.

Contribution

It presents a statistical analysis of respiratory arrest rates over ten years in multiple hospitals, highlighting their frequency and implications for legal cases.

Findings

Respiratory arrests are about five times less frequent than cardio-respiratory arrests.

Respiratory arrests are a common occurrence in smaller UK hospital EDs.

The data supports legal reviews of hospital-related cases.

Abstract

Statistical analysis of monthly rates of events in around 20 hospitals and over a period of about 10 years shows that respiratory arrest, though about five times less frequent than cardio-respiratory arrest, is a common occurrence in the Emergency Department of a typical smaller UK hospital. This report has been prepared at the request of lawyers working in the London Innocence Project and is intended to form part of an application to the CCRC for a reopening of the case of Ben Geen: a UK nurse sentenced to 30 years in jail following an apparent cluster of cases always when he was on duty at the Horton General Hospital.