The Role of Rapid Response Teams in the Post-operative Care of the High-Risk Cancer Patient

The profile of surgical cancer patients is changing, as is the intensity of the cancer therapy. Up to 20 % of patients have serious complications following major surgery which are more often related to medical co-morbidities than to the surgical site or procedure. The associated morbidity and mortality is related to the effectiveness of detection and treatment. Rapid response teams (RRTs) have been introduced into hospitals worldwide to assist in the recognition of, and response to, at-risk patients with indicators of clinical decline. Implementing an RRT is associated with marked improvements in post-operative morbidity and mortality. Cancer patients use RRTs at greater rates than non-cancer patients and RRTs play an increasing role in end-of-life care planning. This may be of particular relevance in cancer patients undergoing surgery. Further research is needed to enhance risk stratification and develop pre-emptive strategies that tailor post-operative monitoring and treatment.