Cantillon DJ, Burkle A, Kirkwood D, et al. - Whether standardized cardiac telemetry monitoring indications can be of use in the detection of high-risk hospitalized patients for clinical deterioration, was investigated in this study. From among standardized telemetry indications ordered over a 13-month span, researchers systematically characterized adjudicated data from events triggering emergency response team (ERT) activation at the Cleveland Clinic. The occurrence of ERT activation was reported in 2,677 patients (3.7%), including 1,326 (49.5%) cardiac-related, among overall 72,199 orders created for telemetry monitored patients. The highest overall event rate was shown by patients with deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Proportionally highest cardiac-related events were reported in patients with coronary disease awaiting revascularization. Patients who underwent a cardiac operation and those with recognized or suspected tachyarrhythmias had highest arrhythmia-specific events. Experts concluded that telemetry indication can enable the detection of high-risk hospitalized patients, and these people could be prioritized based on concerns for cardiac, arrhythmia-specific and noncardiac clinical deterioration. In the setting of constrained monitored bed resources, this was found to be especially useful.