Recognizing Deteriorating Patient Condition in a Paediatric Setting
When introducing early warning tools and systems, it's important to consider design, implementation and evaluation processes that include all relevant team members, as with any improvement opportunity. Meaningful consultation and contribution is key to implementing and sustaining improvement.
The following tools and resources will assist you in recognizing and responding to the deteriorating patient condition in a paediatric setting.
- SIGNS - Spot Severe Illness in Infants, Children & Adolescents, SIGNS for Kids Consortium (2022)
- A safe system framework for recognising and responding to children at risk of deterioration, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (2019)
- Safety Is Personal - Partnering with Patients and Families for the Safest Care, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (2014)
- Heavy bleeding after birth (Post-partum haemorrhage) patient information leaflet, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2016)
- Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (video), Bedside Clinical Systems (2017)
- The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2017)
- HIROC Risk Reference Sheets, Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (nd)
- Sick Kids Signs of Deteriorating Patient
- Rapid Response Position Statement, Canadian Paediatric Society (2018)
Bedside Paediatric Early Warning Systems
The Hospital for Sick Children has implemented a bedside pediatric early warning system across their organization and has supported many other paediatric centers in doing the same. They would be happy to help your team. Please email Kristen Middaugh (Kristen.middaugh@sickkids.ca) for more information.
Additionally, if you would like to learn more about the paediatric rapid response processes, the teams at either IWK Health Care or the Children`s Hospital of Eastern Ontario would be happy to share their specialized pediatric outreach teams’ approach with you. Please contact Stacy Burgess (Stacy.Burgess@iwk.nshealth.ca) at IWK Health Care, or either Christa Ramsay (cramsay@cheo.on.ca) or Dr. Anna-Theresa Lobos (alobos@cheo.on.ca) at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario to learn more.
SIGNS Communications Toolkit
Use this communications toolkit to promote the SIGNS resource to Spot Severe Illness in Infants, Children & Adolescents. It contains key messages, posts to share on social media and a story for newsletters. The more people we reach, the more we can improve safety, care and well-being for all involved.
SIGNS Free Digital Downloads
Access free digital resources to promote the SIGNS resource to Spot Severe Illness in Infants, Children & Adolescents resource at your organization and on social media. Download a variety of images to use on social media, your website, through email, at your school, community setting, health and care facility.
Printable Posters
Downloadable Images
TeamSTEPPS Canada ™
Seventy percent of all preventable harm events experienced by patients are linked to a breakdown in communication. TeamSTEPPS Canada Essentials Course helps healthcare organizations optimize patient care by improving communication and teamwork skills among healthcare professionals, including point-of-care staff. The TeamSTEPPS Canada Essentials course is built on an evidence-based framework to optimize performance across the healthcare delivery system. It consists of five key principles: team structure, communication, leading teams, situational monitoring and mutual support.
