Early Warning Score Research Articles

Early clinical outcome prediction based on the initial National Early Warning Score + Lactate (News+L) Score among adult emergency department patients

BackgroundThe National Early Warning Score + Lactate (NEWS+L) Score has been previously shown to outperform NEWS alone in prediction of mortality and need for critical care in a small adult...

Investigation of the value of MEW score and Perfusion Index parameters in identifying critically ill patients- a prospective study

Triage and scoring systems have been developed to differentiate critical patients from others and to ensure early intervention in crowded emergency departments. We aimed to determine the utility of the perfusion index in the triage of patients, and its association with mortality in comparison and combination with the Modified Early Warning score. This was a single-center and prospective study. The study included patients who received yellow or red triage code in emergency department. The modified Early Warning scores were calculated from patients data. The perfusion index value was measured using a Masimo® device with probe. The outcomes of the patients and one-month mortality were recorded. 397 patients were included in the study. Mean perfusion index and Modified Early Warning score was 4.05 (± 2.67) and 1.99, respectively in patients discharged from the emergency department, 1.12 (± 0.97) and 7.5, respectively in patients deceased at the emergency department. Finally, the Modified Early Warning score was added to the perfusion index and the effect of the created model on mortality was evaluated. In this case, the new model had an accurate classification rate of 91.7%, with a sensitivity of 98.6% and a specificity of 45.1%. Nagelkerke’s R2 of 0.434 suggested that the model was effective in explaining the dependent variable (mortality) at a rate of 43.4%. It would be possible to make early decisions on intervention and prevent mortality since the combined use of perfusion index and Modified Early Warning score provide higher reliability in identifying critical patients.

External validation of triage tools for adults with suspected COVID-19 in a middle-income setting: an observational cohort study

BackgroundTools proposed to triage ED acuity in suspected COVID-19 were derived and validated in higher income settings during early waves of the pandemic. We estimated the accuracy of seven risk-stratification...

Validation of 'Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score' as a Screening Tool for Early Identification of Sepsis Patients in the Emergency Department.

Sepsis and septic shock are major healthcare problems, affecting millions of people around the world each year. The speed and appropriateness of therapy administered in the initial hours of treatment are likely to influence the outcome. We conducted a study to validate the clinical assessment score named'quick sequential organ failure assessment' (qSOFA) score for use in the early identification of sepsis patients in the emergency department. Our primary objective was to see the sensitivity and specificity of the qSOFA-score for diagnosing sepsis in the emergency department and our secondary objective was to compare the sensitivity of the qSOFA score with the National Early Warning (NEW) score in patients with sepsis. A prospective observational study was conducted at Max Super Speciality Hospital Saket, New Delhi, from July 2016 to January 2017. Adult patients presenting to the emergency department with clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of infection were enrolled as per the eligibility criteria and divided into two groupson the basis of their qSOFA score at presentation. Out of 120 patients who had a positive qSOFA score 30 were subsequently confirmed as having sepsis whereas in qSOFA negative group 14 patients were subsequently diagnosed as having sepsis. This leads to the fact that although the test has near-acceptable specificity, the sensitivity is quite low. Calculations of the secondary outcome, that is 28-day mortality, revealed that 17 patients out of 120 who had a positive qSOFA score died within 28 days of first presentation whereas in the control group, nine patients had died. This means it successfully predicted mortality in only 17 patients and failed to predict mortality in nine patients out of 26 patients that died. The p-value is 0.097 which indicates both poor sensitivity as well as specificity for predicting mortality. We also compared qSOFA with the NEW score and found the latter to have a better sensitivity for detecting sepsis. This study shows that the qSOFA score, which has been specifically designed for early detection of sepsis patients in the emergency department or a pre-hospital setting in whom infection is suspected on a clinical basis, does not seem to be a good screening tool for early detection of sepsis patients in the emergency department.

A new index, Respiratory Insufficiency index and Modified Early Warning Scores predict extubation failure.

Extubation failure occurs in 5%-20% of patients and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. The primary aim of this project was to determine the predictive ability of the Respiratory Insufficiency (RI) index, Respiratory Oxygenation (ROX) index and Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) in identifying extubation failure. This was a secondary analysis of a prior cross-sectional retrospective study conducted from February 2018 through December 2018 among adult subjects who received mechanical ventilation for more than 24 h. Extubation failure was defined as the need for reintubation or rescue non-invasive ventilation (NIV) within 48 h after planned extubation. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were used to identify the predictors and final model was validated using 10-fold cross validation. Nomogram was constructed based on the final model. Of 216 enrolled subjects, 46 (21.3%) experienced extubation failure. The median RI index 1-h post extubation was 20 [interquartile range [IQR] 16.33-24.24] for success group and 27.02 [IQR 22.42-33.83] for the failure group (P<0.001). The median ROX index 1-h post extubation was 16.66 [IQR 12.57-19.84] for success group and 11.11 [IQR 8.09-14.67] for failure group (P<0.001). The median MEWS 1-h post extubation was 2 [IQR 1-3] for the success group and 4 [IQR 3-5] for the failure group (P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, age >60 years [OR 3.89 (95% CI 1.56-9.73); P=0.004], MEWS >4 [OR 4.01 (95% CI (1.59-10.14); P=0.003] and, RI index >20 [OR 4.50 (95% CI 1.43-14.21); P=0.010] were independently associated with extubation failure. In the present study, RI index and MEWS were independently associated with predicting extubation failure within 1 h of extubation. A prospective validation study is warranted to establish the role of these indices in predicting extubation outcome.

Comparing Continuous with Periodic Vital Sign Scoring for Clinical Deterioration Using a Patient Data Model

To evaluate a minute-by-minute monitoring algorithm against a periodic early warning score (EWS) in detecting clinical deterioration and workload. Periodic EWSs suffer from large measurement intervals, causing late detection of deterioration. This might be prevented by continuous vital sign monitoring with a real-time algorithm such as the Visensia Safety Index (VSI). This prospective comparative data modeling cohort study (NCT04189653) compares continuous algorithmic alerts against periodic EWS in continuous monitored medical and surgical inpatients. We evaluated sensitivity, frequency, number of warnings needed to evaluate (NNE) and time of initial alert till escalation of care (EOC): Rapid Response Team activation, unplanned ICU admission, emergency surgery, or death. Also, the percentage of VSI alerting minutes was compared between patients with or without EOC. In 1529 admissions continuous VSI warned for 55% of EOC (95% CI: 45-64%) versus 51% (95% CI: 41-61%) by periodic EWS. NNE for VSI was 152 alerts per detected EOC (95% CI: 114-190) compared to 21 (95% CI: 17-28). It generated 0.99 warnings per day per patient compared to 0.13. Time from detection score till escalation was 8.3 hours (IQR: 2.6-24.8) with VSI versus 5.2 (IQR: 2.7-12.3) hours with EWS (P=0.074). The percentage of warning VSI minutes was higher in patients with EOC than in stable patients (2.36% vs 0.81%, P<0.001). Although sensitivity of detection was not significantly improved continuous vital sign monitoring shows potential for earlier alerts for deterioration compared to periodic EWS. A higher percentage of alerting minutes may indicate risk for deterioration.

Fixed-dose ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis for acute pulmonary embolism: short- and long-term outcome data from a single-center study

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Data on clinical outcomes after fixed-dosed ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis (USAT) for acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is still limited, particularly concerning safety and long-term course. Methods We studied patients with acute PE treated with USAT at a University Hospital between 2018 and 2022. Patients were candidates to USAT if acute PE fulfilled the criteria of high-risk or intermediate-high risk (plus additional markers of clinical severity or early deterioration) as per European guidelines. USAT was given at a standard regimen of 10 mg alteplase/catheter over 15 hours. Early outcomes included: mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) before and after treatment, National Early Warning Score (NEWS) during USAT; 30-day all-cause death, 30-day hemodynamic decompensation, 30-day PE recurrence, and 30-day major bleeding complications (ISTH definition). Late outcomes were: confirmed CTEPH, persistent post-PE dyspnea, and "post-PE impairment" (PPEI), as defined by the combination of dyspnea with sPAP&amp;gt;35 mm Hg, TAPSE &amp;lt;1.6cm, or RV/RA gradient &amp;gt;36 mmHg, death. Results We included 161 patients: the mean age was 67.8 (SD 14.6) years and 96 were men. All had acute bilateral PE and were treated with two catheters for a median alteplase dose of 20 mg. All patients received anti-Xa activity-adjusted unfractionated heparin, except one, who received argatroban. mPAP decreased from a mean of 35.6 (SD 9.8) to 25.6 (SD 8.2) mmHg after a 15-hour course of treatment (absolute difference 10.2 mmHg; SD 8.1). The NEWS decreased from a median of 5 (Q1-Q3: 4-6) points before USAT to 3 (Q1-Q3: 2-4) points after USAT. No hemodynamic decompensations were recorded within 30 days of hospitalization. One (0.6%) recurrence of PE within 30 days occurred. Two major bleeding (1.2%), of which one (0.6%) was intracranial and fatal, were observed. No other deaths were recorded within 30 days of acute PE. Of 125 patients followed at our center and included in the long-term analysis (median follow-up time 104, Q1-Q3 91-200, days), CTEPH was diagnosed in 2 (1.6%) patients. In one patient, CTEPH was most probably pre-existing, namely present already at the time of "acute" PE, based on hemodynamic and radiological findings. CTEPH was incident in the other patient. 24 (19.2%) patients reported persistent dyspnea, of whom 5 (4.0%) fulfilled the PPEI criteria. Death was recorded in 8 (6.4%) patients after a median of 591 (Q1-Q3; 517-710) days and no event was PE-related. One (0.8%) recurrent PE occurred. Conclusions USAT rapidly reduced the mean pulmonary arterial pressure in selected intermediate-high and high-risk acute PE with a good safety profile. Only 4.0% patients had residual symptoms and right ventricular dysfunction over long-term follow-up. This data reassures USAT being an effective and safe option for acute PE also in terms of long-term outcomes.

Performance of Early Warning Scoring Systems Regarding Adverse Events of Unanticipated Clinical Deterioration in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Hospitals

PurposeThis study aims to examine the performance of early warning scoring systems regarding adverse events of unanticipated clinical deterioration in complementary and alternative medicine hospitals. MethodsA medical record review of 500 patients from 5-year patient data in two traditional Korean medicine hospitals was conducted. Unanticipated clinical deterioration events included unexpected in-hospital mortality, cardiac arrest, and unplanned transfers to acute-care conventional medicine hospitals. Scores of the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), and National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) were calculated. Their performance was evaluated by calculating areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for the event occurrence. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with event occurrence. ResultsThe incidence of unanticipated clinical deterioration events was 1.1% (225/21101). The area under the curve of MEWS, NEWS, and NEWS2 was .68, .72, and .72 at 24 hours before the events, respectively. NEWS and NEWS2, with almost the same performance, were superior to MEWS (p = .009). After adjusting for other variables, patients at low-medium risk (OR = 3.28; 95% CI = 1.02–10.55) and those at medium and high risk (OR = 25.03; 95% CI = 2.78–225.46) on NEWS2 scores were more likely to experience unanticipated clinical deterioration than those at low risk. Other factors associated with the event occurrence included frailty risk scores, clinical worry scores, primary medical diagnosis, prescribed medicine administration, acupuncture treatment, and clinical department. ConclusionsThe three early warning scores demonstrated moderate-to-fair performance for clinical deterioration events. NEWS2 can be used for early identification of patients at high risk of deterioration in complementary and alternative medicine hospitals. Additionally, patient, care, and system factors need to be considered to improve patient safety.

National Early Warning Score Deployment in a Veterans Affairs Facility: A Quality Improvement Initiative and Analysis.

Early warning scores are algorithms designed to identify clinical deterioration. Current literature is predominantly in non-Veteran populations. Studies in Veterans are lacking. This study was a prospective quality improvement project deploying and assessing the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) at Kansas City VA Medical Center. Performance of NEWS was assessed as follows: discrimination for predicting a composite outcome of intensive care unit transfer or mortality within 24 hours via area under the receiver operating curve. A total of 4781 Veterans with 142 375 NEWS values were included. The NEWS area under the receiver operating curve for the composite outcome was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.71-0.74), indicating acceptable predictive accuracy. A NEWS of ≥7 was more likely associated with the composite outcome versus <7 (13.6% vs 0.8%; P < 0.001). This is one of the first studies to demonstrate successful deployment of NEWS in a Veteran population, with resultant important implications across the Veterans Health Administration.

National Early Warning Scores Following Emergency Hospital Transfer: Implications for Care Home Residents.

Care home residents have high rates of hospital admission. The UK National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) standardizes the secondary care response to acute illness. However, the ability of NEWS2 to predict adverse health outcomes specifically for care home residents is unknown. This study explored the relationship between NEWS2 on admission to hospital and resident outcome 7days later. Repeated cross-sectional study. Data on UK care home residents admitted to 160 hospitals in two 24-hour periods (2019 and 2020). Chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and multinomial regression were used to explore the association between low (score ≤2), intermediate (3-4), high (5-6), and critically high (≥7) NEWS2 on admission and each of the following: discharge on day of admission, admission and discharge within 7days, prolonged hospital admission (>7days), and death. From 665 resident admissions across 160 hospital sites, NEWS2 was low for 54%, intermediate for 18%, high for 13%, and critically high for 16%. The 7-day outcome was 10% same-day discharge, 47% admitted and subsequently discharged, 34% remained inpatients, and 8% died. There is a significant association between NEWS2 and these outcomes (P < .001). Compared with those with low NEWS2, residents with high and critically high NEWS2 had 3.6 and 9.5 times increased risk of prolonged hospitalization [relative risk ratio (RRR) 3.56; 95% CI 1.02-12.37; RRR 9.47; CI 2.20-40.67], respectively. The risk of death was approximately 14 times higher for residents with high NEWS2 (RRR 13.62; CI 3.17-58.49) and 54 times higher (RRR 53.50; CI 11.03-259.54) for critically high NEWS2. Higher NEWS2 measurements on admission are associated with an increased risk of hospitalization up to 7days duration, prolonged admission, and mortality for care home residents. NEWS2 may have a role as an adjunct to acute care decision making for hospitalized residents.

Prevalence of electronic screening for sepsis in National Health Service acute hospitals in England

Sepsis is a worldwide public health problem. Rapid identification is associated with improved patient outcomes—if followed by timely appropriate treatment.ObjectivesDescribe digital sepsis alerts (DSAs) in use in English National Health...

Guideline on the investigation and management of acute transfusion reactions.

Guideline on the investigation and management of acute transfusion reactions.

Monitoring clinical risk in the obstetric population through the Modified Early Obstetric Warning Score (MEOWS) at the IRCCS san raffaele hospital: a preliminary analysis

Monitoring clinical risk in the obstetric population through the Modified Early Obstetric Warning Score (MEOWS) at the IRCCS san raffaele hospital: a preliminary analysis

Standardized perioperative management in acute abdominal surgery: Swedish SMASH controlled study.

Acute high-risk abdominal surgery is common, as are the attendant risks of organ failure, need for intensive care, mortality, or long hospital stay. This study assessed the implementation of standardized management. A prospective study of all adults undergoing emergency laparotomy over an interval of 42 months (2018-2021) was undertaken; outcomes were compared with those of a retrospective control group. A new standardized clinical protocol was activated for all patients including: prompt bedside physical assessment by the surgeon and anaesthetist, interprofessional communication regarding location of resuscitation, elimination of unnecessary factors that might delay surgery, improved operating theatre competence, regular epidural, enhanced recovery care, and frequent early warning scores. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. Secondary endpoints were duration of hospital stay, need for intensive care, and surgical complications. A total of 1344 patients were included, 663 in the control group and 681 in the intervention group. The use of antibiotics increased (81.4 versus 94.7 per cent), and the time from the decision to operate to the start of surgery was reduced (3.80 versus 3.22 h) with use of the new protocol. Fewer anastomoses were performed (22.5 versus 16.8 per cent). The 30-day mortality rate was 14.5 per cent in the historical control group and 10.7 per cent in the intervention group (P = 0.045). The mean duration of hospital (11.9 versus 10.2 days; P = 0.007) and ICU (5.40 versus 3.12 days; P = 0.007) stays was also reduced. The rate of serious surgical complications (grade IIIb-V) was lower (37.6 versus 27.3 per cent; P = <0.001). Standardized management protocols improved outcomes after emergency laparotomy.

Features of cognitive functioning in older people with COVID 19

The results of studies on elderly patients with COVID-19 indicate presence of serious comorbidities, including cerebrovascular disease, infection of the central nervous system, and cognitive deficits. Impaired cognitive functioning may be due to neurological damage, combined and potentially reversible effects of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances.The purpose of the study: to identify characteristics of cognitive impairment of elderly patients hospitalized for COVID-19.Material and methods: the study involved 35 patients: 15 men and 20 women (median age 61.0 years, interquartile range (IQR, 25.0-75.0 percentiles) — 50.0-69.0 years, established clinical diagnosis: “New coronavirus infection COVID-19 (PCR+)”. Inclusion criteria were: 1) confirmation of the diagnosis of COVID-19 by clinical and PCR methods, 2) absence of mental disorders, incl. cognitive impairment prior to COVID-19. The exclusion criterion was age under 40 and over 90 years. The severity of COVID-19 was assessed in accordance with the criteria of the Interim Guidelines of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Clinical and psychopathological method, psychometric testing using the MMSE scale were used. Monitoring of current physical condition was carried out using The National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) for COVID-19. MMSE testing and monitoring of NEWS2 were carried out twice: upon presentation of cognitive complaints in the first days of hospitalization (1st measurement) and at discharge (2nd time point) Statistical processing was carried out using the STATISTICA 12 package. When comparing features, two-tailed Fisher’s test and Wilcoxon’s test were used. Correlation analysis was carried out using Kendall’s test. The level of statistical significance was p&lt;0.05.Results: Comparative analysis between the first and second measurements revealed an improvement in the cognitive performance of elderly patients with COVID-19 by the end of the hospital stay. A significant predominance of median indicators was revealed: orientation (Med 9.0, IQR 8.0-10.0 vs Med 7.0 IQR 6.0-8.0; p=.0000), immediate memory (Med 3.0 IQR 3.0-3.0 vs Med 2.0 IQR 2.0-3.0; p= .0006), attention and counting (Med 2.0 IQR 2.0-4.0 vs Med 2.0 IQR 1.0-3.0; p=.0000). word reproduction (Med 2.0 IQR 2.0-3.0 vs Med 1.0 IQR 1.0-2.0; p=.0000); speech (Med 6.0 IQR 6.0-8.0 vs Med 5.0 IQR 4.0-5.0; p=.0000). final score (Med 24.0 IQR 23.0-27.0 vs Med 17.0 IQR 15.0-20.0; p=.0000). Correlations between the MMSE scores and anamnestic data were analyzed. Significant negative correlations were found with age, disease severity (only at the 2nd time point), diseases of the nervous, cardiovascular and digestive systems. Statistically significant relationships with gender, disease severity at the first measurement, tumors, diseases of the endocrine, respiratory and genitourinary systems were not obtained.Conclusion. Objective neurocognitive measurements can provide important information for neuropsychiatric sorting and should be included as endpoints in clinical trials.

Management of Medical Records at the Surgical Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Blackpool, UK: Results of an Internal Audit

Introduction: A medical record a fundamental component of a doctor’s roles and responsibilities in providing objective and evidence-based care to his/her patients. It ensures that everyone treating the patients clearly understands the patient’s needs. According to Good Medical Practice &amp; Good Surgical Practice guidelines, medical records should be taken in real time and should be accurate, legible, comprehensive, honest, non-judgmental and up-to-date. In this study we audited medical records at the surgical department of our hospital in the UK to assess the practice of medical records taking at the hospital.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: This was a follow-up audit to a baseline audit conducted in April 2021. This study was conducted from 24th January 2022 to 30th January 2022 at the surgical admission unit of Blackpool Victoria Teaching Hospital. A total of 47 sets of records corresponding to 47 emergency surgical take patients were selected and assessed in details against pre-determined assessment criteria. Data was analyzed in Microsoft excel software and summarized inform of count and percentages and presented in bar graphs.&#x0D; Results: A total of 47 sets of records were assessed for completeness based on the selected parameters. Overall, there was improvement in recording patient ID, recording of reviewing physician’s name, recording of examination findings, recording of patient management plan, and recording of final National early warning score (NEWS). Recording of reviewer name, date, and patient management plan had more than 80% improvement, while the rest were averagely recorded, ranging from 40 to 60%.&#x0D; Conclusion: The result indicated that documentation in the surgical unit was still inadequate as only three parameters; reviewer name, date and plan were being well recorded. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement and discussions are underway to implement the electronic medical records system.

Clinical Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Cases in Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Background The SARS-CoV-2Omicron variant, within two months of its detection, replaced the Delta variant to become the dominant circulating variant globally. Therefore, it is essential to understand the characteristics of the disease caused by the variant and its impact on vaccination. Methods A total of 165 confirmed Omicron cases attending a tertiary care hospital in Pune, Maharashtra, between December 2021 to February 2022 were studied. Their demographic, clinical, and immunization history was recorded. Results Among the 165 cases, 7.88% were B.1.1.529 Omicron cases, 25.45% were BA.1 Omicron cases, and 66.67% were BA.2 Omicron cases. Of these 165 patients, 146 (88.48%) were discharged after treatment, 12 (7.27%) died during hospitalization, and seven (4.24%) were brought dead. The presence of one or more comorbid conditions was seen in 15.15%, of which diabetes mellitus and hypertension (28% each) were the most common conditions. Older age (greater than 60 years), an important risk factor for poor outcomes, was present in 9.1% of cases. Among the 165 cases, vaccination with at least one dose of vaccine was found in 80.61% of cases. Out of 165 cases, clinical data was available for 158 cases. Of these 158 cases, 86.71% had symptoms, and 13.29% were asymptomatic. Fever, followed by cough, myalgia, runny nose, and headache, were the most common presenting symptoms. The mean duration of illness was 2.69 days, with 91.14% of cases having the illness for less than five days, and 89.24% of cases had a National Early Warning Score (NEWS) of 1-4, suggesting a good prognosis. In 93.90% of cases, the chest X-ray findings were normal. Of the 158 cases, 92.41% of cases recovered with supportive treatment, and only 7.59% of cases required oxygen therapy. Conclusion The current study shows that the Omicron variant caused mild disease with reduced need for hospital admission and oxygen therapy in India.

The predictive value of warning scores for intensive care unit admission in coronavirus disease 2019 patients

To evaluate the predictive value of early warning scores for intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For COVID-19 patients who were admitted to Shijiazhuang People's Hospital from January 2021 to February 2021, national early warning score (NEWS), national early warning score 2 (NEWS2), rapid emergency medicine score (REMS), quick sepsis-related organ failure (qSOFA), altered consciousness, blood urea nitrogen, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age-65 (CURB-65) were used to evaluate the inpatient condition and the predictive value for ICU admission. A total of 368 patients were included, and 32 patients (8.7%) were transferred to the ICU. The median age was 49.0 (34.0,61.0) years. The scores of NEWS, NEWS2, REMS, and CURB-65 were 1 (0, 2), 1 (0, 2), 4 (2, 6) and 0 (0, 1), respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) cure (AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive value in detecting patients who are at risk of being transferred to the ICU. Area under the ROC AUC of NEWS was 0.756, sensitivity 65.6%, and specificity 71.3%. ROC AUC of NEWS2 was 0.732, sensitivity 62.5%, and specificity 61.3%. ROC AUC of REMS was 0.787, sensitivity 84.4%, and specificity 64.6%. ROC AUC of CURB-65 was 0.814, sensitivity 81.3%, and specificity 76.8%. The predictive value of NEWS and NEWS2 combined with age were significantly improved. The ROC AUC of NEWS combined with age was 0.885, sensitivity 85.1%, and specificity 75.0%. The ROC AUC of NEWS2 combined with age was 0.883, sensitivity 84.2%, and specificity 75.0%. NEWS and NEWS2 combined with age can be used as a predictive tool for whether COVID-19 patients will be admitted to the ICU.

Development of a core set of clinical skills for pharmacist prescribers working in general practice: A Delphi study.

With increasing numbers of pharmacists working in general practices and undertaking patient-facing roles, it has been recognised that they must have the necessary clinical skills. However, previous studies have highlighted that practice-based pharmacists (PBPs) do not feel confident regarding their clinical skills, and it is unclear what skills are needed. To develop a core set of clinical skills (CSs) required for pharmacists who intend to practise as independent prescribers working in general practice/family medicine. Based on a previous study, 18 CSs were selected for inclusion in a three-round Delphi consensus questionnaire. These skills were rated by a Delphi panel on a 9-point Likert scale (ranging from 1=limited importance to 9=critical). The Delphi panel comprised designated leads of pharmacist independent prescribing programmes in each United Kingdom educational provider listed on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. A CS was included in the core set if 80% or more of participants scored between 7 and 9, and 15% or less scored between 1 and 3. Following Round 1, seven CSs met the criteria for inclusion: 'Measuring heart rate (radial pulse)', 'Assessing respiratory rate', 'Measuring blood pressure (manual, e.g. with aneroid sphygmomanometer)', 'Measuring blood pressure (automated, i.e. electronic blood pressure monitor)', 'Measuring peripheral oxygen saturation (using pulse oximeter)', 'Measuring temperature', 'Measuring Peak Expiratory Flow Rate'. After two further rounds, a further four CSs were included consisting of 'Undertaking a urinalysis', 'Respiratory examination (includes inspection, palpation, percussion and listening to breath sounds)', 'Screening for/assessment of depression and anxiety using a validated questionnaire (e.g. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] scoring)', and 'Patient assessment via National Early Warning Score (NEWS)'. No consensus was reached on nine CSs. This study has produced a core set of CSs for prescribing pharmacists. This study may contribute to standardisation of training and assessment for pharmacist prescribers working in general practice/family medicine.

Study of national early warning score-2 (NEWS-2) Score on admission in COVID-19 positive patients and its association with mortality

Background: While several parameters have emerged as predictors of prognosis of COVID-19, a simple clinical NEWS2 score at baseline might help early risk stratification. Hence the present study was undertaken to assess the usefulness of NEWS-2 score on admission in COVID 19 positive patients and its use in assessing the mortality, also assessed COVID-19 patients based on CURB-65, NEWS-2 score and SIRS and which score among three is better in predicting outcome.Method: A total 155 patients who had SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled and screened on the basis of the NEW2 score, SIRS score and CURB 65 score on admission. Routine examination was carried out. RT-PCR/ RAT came to be positive, on admission based on score patient assessed and started on treatment. Patient was followed up till 28 days or discharge or death.Results: On NEWS score, 31.6% cases had medium clinical risk (NEWS2 score 5-6) and 46.5% cases had low clinical risk (NEWS2 score 1-4). On SIRS criteria, majority 87.1% had scores 2 and 12.9% had score > 2. On CURB 65 majority 52.9% had score 0, 8.4% had 1, 28.4% had score 2, 2.6% had 3 and 7.7% had score 4. On final outcome 87.1% were discharged and 12.9% died. On association between NEWS score and mortality rate it was seen those having NEWS score more than 5 i.e., 74 cases, among them majority 20 cases died, (p<0.01). On comparing all 3 scores i.e., NEWS, SIR and CURB 65, it was seen that among those who had raised scores had more mortality rate. Sensitivity for all 3 was 98.5%, 97% and 97.1% respectively.Conclusion: Thus, such scoring system can definitely help in detecting the prognosis of disease which will ultimately help the treating doctor for planning the management of such cases.