Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System Research Articles

Adherence to the bedside paediatric early warning system (BedsidePEWS) in a pediatric tertiary care hospital

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to describe the adherence to the Bedside Pediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS) escalation protocol in children admitted to hospital wards in a large tertiary care children’s hospital in Italy.MethodsThis is a retrospective observational chart review. Data on the frequency and accuracy of BedsidePEWS score calculations, escalation of patient observations, monitoring and medical reviews were recorded.Two research nurses performed weekly visits to the hospital wards to collect data on BedsidePEWS scores, medical reviews, type of monitoring and vital signs recorded. Data were described through means or medians according to the distribution. Inferences were calculated either with Chi-square, Student’s t test or Wilcoxon-Mann–Whitney test, as appropriate (P < 0.05 considered as significant).ResultsA total of 522 Vital Signs (VS) and score calculations [BedsidePEWS documentation events, (DE)] on 177 patient clinical records were observed from 13 hospital inpatient wards. Frequency of BedsidePEWS DE occurred < 3 times per day in 33 % of the observations. Adherence to the BedsidePEWS documentation frequency according to the hospital protocol was observed in 54 % of all patients; in children with chronic health conditions (CHC) it was significantly lower than children admitted for acute medical conditions (47 % vs. 69 %, P = 0.006). The BedsidePEWS score was correctly calculated and documented in 84 % of the BedsidePEWS DE. Patients in a 0–2 BedsidePEWS score range were all reviewed at least once a day by a physician. Only 50 % of the patients in the 5–6 score range were reviewed within 4 h and 42 % of the patients with a score ≥ 7 within 2 h.ConclusionsEscalation of patient observations, monitoring and medical reviews matching the BedsidePEWS is still suboptimal. Children with CHC are at higher risk of lower compliance. Impact of adherence to predefined response algorithms on patient outcomes should be further explored.

How to implement a PEWS in a resource-limited setting: A quantitative analysis of the bedside-PEWS implementation in a hospital in northeast Brazil.

OBJECTIVESQuantitative analysis of the implementation of the bedside paediatric early warning system (B‐PEWS) in a resource‐limited setting. The B‐PEWS serves to pre‐emptively identify hospitalised children who are at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest and subsequently to provide critical care in time.METHODSWe performed a retrospective review through the medical data records of patients after discharge from the paediatric ward of a philanthropic hospital in Brazil. Nurses’ performance using the system was measured with various parameters.RESULTSA total of 499 patients were included, and a total of 8024 scores were checked. During the 21‐week research period, the implementation rate increased significantly from 66.5% (SD 26.0) in Period 1 to 93.1% (SD 16.6) in Period 2. The number of scores that resulted in a correct total score went from 7.5% in Period 1 to 32.2% in Period 2, p < 0.001. There was an improvement in the correct choice of age group between the two periods (from 32.2% to 53.4%). There was no difference in the mean admission time of patients in the two periods: in the first period 4.8 days (SD 2.9) and in the second period 4.8 days (SD 4.1).CONCLUSIONSIt is possible to implement a PEWS in resource‐limited settings while achieving high implementation rates. However, this is a time‐ and energy‐consuming process. Having an active and involved team that is responsible for implementation is key for a successful implementation. Factors that likely hindered implementation were a large change in workflow for the nursing staff, non‐native speakers as main investigators.

Use of paediatric early warning scores in intermediate care units

ObjectivePaediatric early warning scores (EWS) were developed to detect deterioration in paediatric wards or emergency departments. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between three paediatric EWS...

Assessing the electronic Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System: A simulation study on decision-making and usability

BackgroundThe Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS) is a clinical decision support tool designed to augment clinician expertise, objectively identify children at risk for clinical deterioration, and standardize and prioritize care to improve outcomes in community settings. Although the paper-based BedsidePEWS documentation record has been shown to improve clinicians’ perception of their ability to detect deterioration and follow care recommendations, research is needed to asses this impact empirically. Furthermore, as hospitals progressively move toward electronic clinical systems, knowledge regarding the impact of BedsidePEWS’ novel electronic interface on clinicians’ performance and user experience is required. ObjectivesThe primary objectives of this study were (1) to compare adherence to evidence-based care recommendations using a) electronic health record software, b) paper BedsidePEWS, and c) a novel electronic BedsidePEWS interface, and (2) to describe end-users’ experiences of usability and opportunities for improvement of both paper and electronic BedsidePEWS. MethodsPaediatric nurses participated in a repeated measures simulation study. Participants assessed simulated patients, documented patient data, and responded to a series of questions regarding follow-up care for each patient. Three patient types (i.e., stable, mild deterioration, severe deterioration) were assessed in each of three intervention conditions (i.e., electronic health record, paper BedsidePEWS, electronic BedsidePEWS). Following simulation scenarios, participants provided comments regarding the usability of the paper and electronic tools. ResultsParticipants made 12.7% and 18.0% more appropriate care decisions with paper and electronic BedsidePEWS, respectively, than with the electronic health record intervention (p < 0.001). Accurate BedsidePEWS severity of illness score calculation was related to better adherence to evidence-based care recommendations (65%), compared to inaccurate calculation (55%), and electronic BedsidePEWS was associated with 15.7% fewer calculation errors than paper (p < 0.005). Electronic BedsidePEWS demonstrated usability benefits over its paper predecessor, including automatic score calculation and data plotting, and the potential to eliminate double charting, and participants expressed a preference for electronic BedsidePEWS in all aspects of the debrief questionnaire (p < 0.001). ConclusionsBedsidePEWS in both paper and electronic formats significantly improved participants’ ability to detect deterioration and follow care recommendations compared to electronic health record software. Furthermore, results suggest that electronic BedsidePEWS would afford improved patient care in excess of the paper-based original and further contribute to the standardization, prioritization, and improvement of care in community settings.

Anticipating pediatric patient transfers from intermediate to intensive care

Abstract BACKGROUND Paediatric intermediate care units (IC) function to provide a higher level of inpatient paediatric care such as frequent monitoring or nursing intervention compared to routine inpatient general paediatric care. A small subset of these patients in IC deteriorate further and require transfer to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). By identifying patient characteristics at the time of admission that predict secondary transfer, specific monitoring, resource allocation and early intervention may be implemented in order to improve quality of care. Appropriate and timely patient flow and length of stay (LOS) can also be optimized. DESIGN/METHODS The IC at our tertiary care institution admits predominantly general paediatric patients. Its admission criteria have been designed with input from stakeholders, and comprise a range of physiologic and resource based measures. Data were collected on patients who were admitted to IC, including those subsequently transferred to PICU, between July 2016 - June 2017. Patients whose index IC admission was from the PICU were excluded. Data included demographic and physiologic characteristics (heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, oxygen therapy) and the bedside paediatric early warning system (BPEWS) score, a validated score based on vital signs. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using Fisher and Mann-Whitney tests respectively. RESULTS 210 patient visits occurred in this time period, with 44 (20.95%) transferred to PICU (Table 1). Transferred patients showed no significant difference in age or sex. However, they had significantly higher median BPEWS, heart rate, respiratory rate and mean body temperature compared to non-transferred patients, as well as a significantly higher rate of respiratory support and shorter LOS on IC. There was a non-significant trend toward admission directly from the Emergency Department (ED) in transferred patients. Admission criteria and main organ systems affected were similar amongst both groups, with a predominance of respiratory conditions. PICU transfer was predicted by most physiological characteristics, including BPEWS. This coupled with a significantly shorter length of stay is a likely reflection of higher disease acuity in this group of patients and higher risk of deterioration and subsequent transfer to PICU. CONCLUSION The need for close monitoring of physiologic parameters remains paramount in predicting the need for transfer from the IC to PICU.

Effect of a Pediatric Early Warning System on All-Cause Mortality in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients

There is limited evidence that the use of severity of illness scores in pediatric patients can facilitate timely admission to the intensive care unit or improve patient outcomes. To determine the effect of the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS) on all-cause hospital mortality and late admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), cardiac arrest, and ICU resource use. A multicenter cluster randomized trial of 21 hospitals located in 7 countries (Belgium, Canada, England, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, and the Netherlands) that provided inpatient pediatric care for infants (gestational age ≥37 weeks) to teenagers (aged ≤18 years). Participating hospitals had continuous physician staffing and subspecialized pediatric services. Patient enrollment began on February 28, 2011, and ended on June 21, 2015. Follow-up ended on July 19, 2015. The BedsidePEWS intervention (10 hospitals) was compared with usual care (no severity of illness score; 11 hospitals). The primary outcome was all-cause hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was a significant clinical deterioration event, which was defined as a composite outcome reflecting late ICU admission. Regression analyses accounted for hospital-level clustering and baseline rates. Among 144 539 patient discharges at 21 randomized hospitals, there were 559 443 patient-days and 144 539 patients (100%) completed the trial. All-cause hospital mortality was 1.93 per 1000 patient discharges at hospitals with BedsidePEWS and 1.56 per 1000 patient discharges at hospitals with usual care (adjusted between-group rate difference, 0.01 [95% CI, -0.80 to 0.81 per 1000 patient discharges]; adjusted odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.61 to 1.69]; P = .96). Significant clinical deterioration events occurred during 0.50 per 1000 patient-days at hospitals with BedsidePEWS vs 0.84 per 1000 patient-days at hospitals with usual care (adjusted between-group rate difference, -0.34 [95% CI, -0.73 to 0.05 per 1000 patient-days]; adjusted rate ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.61 to 0.97]; P = .03). Implementation of the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System compared with usual care did not significantly decrease all-cause mortality among hospitalized pediatric patients. These findings do not support the use of this system to reduce mortality. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01260831.

Effect of a children's at-home nursing team on reducing emergency admissions.

This article explores the effect of a children's at-home nursing team, Hospital at Home (H@H), which aimed to reduce demand on acute hospital beds, support families to improve patient experience, and empower parents to care safely for their unwell children and help prevent emergency department (ED) reattendance. Data on demographics and clinical presentation of H@H and ED attendances were collected and compared. A survey measuring parents' confidence in managing their unwell children was also conducted. Of 72 patients treated by the H@H service between May and July 2016, 32 (44%) would have been admitted to hospital from the ED if the H@H service had not existed. This is equivalent to a saving of 64 bed days. Patients treated by the H@H service had similar demographics to those discharged from the ED to usual care. The H@H service took on patients with higher Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System scores before discharge. Parents reported that they would be more confident caring for their children after discharge from the H@H service. The H@H service decreased the number of unnecessary ED admissions. The service promotes a positive patient experience and increases parents' confidence when caring for unwell children at home.

Accuracy of Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS) in a Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Unit.

Hospital mortality in children who undergo stem cell transplant (SCT) is high. Early warning scores aim at identifying deteriorating patients and at preventing adverse outcomes. The bedside pediatric early warning system (BedsidePEWS) is a pediatric early warning score based on 7 clinical indicators, ranging from 0 (all indicators within normal ranges for age) to 26. The aim of this case-control study was to assess the performance of BedsidePEWS in identifying clinical deterioration events among children admitted to an SCT unit. Cases were defined as clinical deterioration events; controls were all the other patients hospitalized on the same ward at the time of case occurrence. BedsidePEWS was retrospectively measured at 4-hour intervals in cases and controls 24 hours before an event (T4-T24). We studied 19 cases and 80 controls. The score significantly increased in cases from a median of 4 at T24 to a median of 14 at T4. The proportion of correctly classified cases and controls was >90% since T8. The area under the curve receiver operating characteristic was 0.9. BedsidePEWS is an accurate screening tool to predict clinical deterioration in SCT patients.

Evaluating processes of care and outcomes of children in hospital (EPOCH): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundThe prevention of near and actual cardiopulmonary arrest in hospitalized children is a patient safety imperative. Prevention is contingent upon the timely identification, referral and treatment of children who are deteriorating clinically. We designed and validated a documentation-based system of care to permit identification and referral as well as facilitate provision of timely treatment. We called it the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS). Here we describe the rationale for the design, intervention and outcomes of the study entitled Evaluating Processes and Outcomes of Children in Hospital (EPOCH).Methods/DesignEPOCH is a cluster-randomized trial of the BedsidePEWS. The unit of randomization is the participating hospital. Eligible hospitals have a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), are anticipated to have organizational stability throughout the study, are not using a severity of illness score in hospital wards and are willing to be randomized. Patients are >37 weeks gestational age and <18 years and are hospitalized in inpatient ward areas during all or part of their hospital admission.Randomization is to either BedsidePEWS or control (no severity of illness score) in a 1:1 ratio within two strata (<200, ≥200 hospital beds). All-cause hospital mortality is the selected primary outcome. It is objective, independent of do-not-resuscitate status and can be reliably measured. The secondary outcomes include (1) clinical outcomes: clinical deterioration, severity of illness at and during ICU admission, and potentially preventable cardiac arrest; (2) processes of care outcomes: immediate calls for assistance, hospital and ICU readmission, and perceptions of healthcare professionals; and (3) resource utilization: ICU days and use of ICU therapies.DiscussionFollowing funding by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and local ethical approvals, site enrollment started in 2010 and was closed in February 2014. Patient enrollment is anticipated to be complete in July 2015. The results of EPOCH will strengthen the scientific basis for local, regional, provincial and national decision-making and for the recommendations of national and international bodies. If negative, the costs of hospital-wide implementation can be avoided. If positive, EPOCH will have provided a scientific justification for the major system-level changes required for implementation.Trial registration: NCT01260831 ClinicalTrials.gov date: 14 December 2010.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0712-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Implementation of the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS) for nurse identification of deteriorating patients.

The purpose was to explore nurses' and physicians' recognition of signs of deterioration and management of symptoms. This descriptive, cross-sectional study used an electronic survey with 35 nurses and 17 physicians. Nurses using the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (BedsidePEWS) were significantly more likely to recognize risk for deterioration and respond with appropriate interventions. Physicians incorporating BedsidePEWS were more likely to choose reliable indicators of deterioration and reported significantly more effective communication from nurses to identify deterioration. BedsidePEWS may improve nurses' and physicians' abilities to recognize early signs of patient deterioration, communicate findings to providers, and plan interventions.

G204(P) Impact of the Bedside PEWS on early detection of deteriorating patients

Late detection of clinical deterioration in hospitalised children leads to increased morbidity and mortality and is potentially preventable. Our Trust has recently changed Paediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) to the...

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Introduction: There are no scoring systems that accurately predict the need for intervention during the interfacility transport of pediatric patients. Pediatric transport teams vary in composition, sometimes changing based on the perceived patient acuity or likelihood of invasive intervention or complex medical decision making; thus requiring different skill sets than a typical transport team. The Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (B-PEWS) score has been previously shown to identify critically ill hospitalized. There are no published studies evaluating the B-PEWS in the transport setting. Hypothesis: Higher B-PEWS score at time of transport referral to the pediatric specialty transport team correlates with increased need for significant interventions by the transport team. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients transported by a specialty pediatric transport team from 8/2010 – 1/2011. B-PEWS score was calculated at the times of referral, team arrival at referral facility, and transfer to the tertiary pediatric hospital. Significant interventions included volume resuscitation, intubation, initiation of positive pressure ventilation, systemic bronchodilator use, heliox or continuous nebulized therapy, intracranial pressure management, vasoactive therapy, treatment of status epilepticus, CPR, and insertion of chest tube, arterial or central line. Mann-Whitney U was used to compare referral B-PEWS scores between patients who did and did not require intervention. Results: The mean B-PEWS score was significantly higher (p<0.001) for patients requiring significant intervention; for patients requiring intervention the score was 9.7 (95% CI: 8.83-10.55), for patients not requiring intervention the score was 3.44 (95% CI: 3.08-3.80). Conclusions: Higher B-PEWS score at time of transport referral correlates with increased need for significant intervention during pediatric interfacility transport.

Implementing the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System in a community hospital: A prospective observational study

Late transfer of children with critical illness from community hospitals undermines the advantages of community-based care. It was hypothesized that implementation of the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (Bedside PEWS) would reduce late transfers. A prospective before-and-after study was performed in a community hospital 22-bed inpatient paediatric ward. The primary outcome, significant clinical deterioration, was a composite measure of circulatory and respiratory support before transfer. Secondary outcomes were stat calls and resuscitation team calls, paediatrician workload and perceptions of frontline staff. Care was evaluated for 842 patient-days before and 2350 patient-days after implementation. The median inpatient census was 13. Implementation of the Bedside PEWS was associated with fewer stat calls to paediatricians (22.6 versus 5.1 per 1000 patient-days; P<0.0001), fewer significant clinical deterioration events (2.4 versus 0.43 per 1000 patient-days; P=0.013), reduced apprehension when calling the physician and no change in paediatrician workload. Implementation of the Bedside PEWS is feasible and safe, and may improve clinical outcomes.

Multicentre validation of the bedside paediatric early warning system score: a severity of illness score to detect evolving critical illness in hospitalised children

IntroductionThe timely provision of critical care to hospitalised patients at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest is contingent upon identification and referral by frontline providers. Current approaches require improvement. In a single-centre study, we developed the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (Bedside PEWS) score to identify patients at risk. The objective of this study was to validate the Bedside PEWS score in a large patient population at multiple hospitals.MethodsWe performed an international, multicentre, case-control study of children admitted to hospital inpatient units with no limitations on care. Case patients had experienced a clinical deterioration event involving either an immediate call to a resuscitation team or urgent admission to a paediatric intensive care unit. Control patients had no events. The scores ranged from 0 to 26 and were assessed in the 24 hours prior to the clinical deterioration event. Score performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUCROC) curve by comparison with the retrospective rating of nurses and the temporal progression of scores in case patients.ResultsA total of 2,074 patients were evaluated at 4 participating hospitals. The median (interquartile range) maximum Bedside PEWS scores for the 12 hours ending 1 hour before the clinical deterioration event were 8 (5 to 12) in case patients and 2 (1 to 4) in control patients (P < 0.0001). The AUCROC curve (95% confidence interval) was 0.87 (0.85 to 0.89). In case patients, mean scores were 5.3 at 20 to 24 hours and 8.4 at 0 to 4 hours before the event (P < 0.0001). The AUCROC curve (95% CI) of the retrospective nurse ratings was 0.83 (0.81 to 0.86). This was significantly lower than that of the Bedside PEWS score (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsThe Bedside PEWS score identified children at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest. Scores were elevated and continued to increase in the 24 hours before the clinical deterioration event. Prospective clinical evaluation is needed to determine whether this score will improve the quality of care and patient outcomes.

Development and initial validation of the Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System score.

IntroductionAdverse outcomes following clinical deterioration in children admitted to hospital wards is frequently preventable. Identification of children for referral to critical care experts remains problematic. Our objective was to develop and validate a simple bedside score to quantify severity of illness in hospitalized children.MethodsA case-control design was used to evaluate 11 candidate items and identify a pragmatic score for routine bedside use. Case-patients were urgently admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Control-patients had no 'code blue', ICU admission or care restrictions. Validation was performed using two prospectively collected datasets.ResultsData from 60 case and 120 control-patients was obtained. Four out of eleven candidate-items were removed. The seven-item Bedside Paediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) score ranges from 0–26. The mean maximum scores were 10.1 in case-patients and 3.4 in control-patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.91, compared with 0.84 for the retrospective nurse-rating of patient risk for near or actual cardiopulmonary arrest. At a score of 8 the sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 93%, respectively. The score increased over 24 hours preceding urgent paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission (P < 0.0001). In 436 urgent consultations, the Bedside PEWS score was higher in patients admitted to the ICU than patients who were not admitted (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsWe developed and performed the initial validation of the Bedside PEWS score. This 7-item score can quantify severity of illness in hospitalized children and identify critically ill children with at least one hours notice. Prospective validation in other populations is required before clinical application.