Preventing cardiac arrests by improving team situation awareness in the pediatric ICU

SAMURAI PICU: Situation Awareness incorporating Multidisciplinary Teams Reduce Arrests In the Pediatric ICU

NIH-funded research Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr · NIH-11138603

This project adds automated alerts and daily safety huddles so PICU teams can spot children at high risk of cardiac arrest and act sooner.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionCincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Cincinnati, United States)
Project IDNIH-11138603 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

At several children's hospitals, clinicians will use an automated tool that flags pediatric ICU patients judged to be at high risk for in-hospital cardiac arrest. That high-risk information will be included in daily safety huddles and linked to team-driven mitigation plans. The team will use a user-centered process to adapt the program for each hospital and then measure whether shared situation awareness increases and cardiac arrest events fall. This is a five-center pragmatic prospective study building on prior single-center results.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Children who are admitted to participating pediatric intensive care units, particularly those whose condition places them at risk of sudden deterioration, are ideal candidates for this program.

Not a fit: Children not admitted to a PICU or hospitalized at sites not participating in the project would not directly benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower the number of cardiac arrests and related deaths among children in the PICU by enabling earlier team action.

How similar studies have performed: A prior single-center implementation of the SAMURAI PICU bundle showed improved early identification and was associated with a greater than 50% reduction in arrests, but multicenter testing is new.

Where this research is happening

Cincinnati, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.