A 12-year-old underwent an ex-lap for an acute abdomen and was subsequently admitted to the floor. The nurse noted irregularities in the patient's vital signs and sent a message to the resident caring for the patient. The resident did not seem concerned and said he or she would come to the bedside at some point. The patient worsened over the next two hours, a rapid response was called, and the patient was transferred to the ICU and diagnosed with suspected sepsis.
This case report describes clinical decompensation on an inpatient ward during a patient's first 24 hours post-surgery. At first glance, this case may not appear to involve anesthesiologists because the patient was stable when leaving the OR and PACU. However, anesthesiologists have an increasing hospital-wide presence as intensivists and members of rapid response and code teams, making our specialty critically involved in the care of patients with clinical...
