Modified Early Warning Score Score Research Articles

Comparison of BAP65, DECAF, PEARL, and MEWS Scores in Predicting Respiratory Support Need in Hospitalized Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Patients.

Prognostic models aid clinical practice with decision-making on treatment and hospitalization in exacerbation of chronic obstructive lung disease (ECOPD). Although there are many studies with prognostic models, diagnostic accuracy is variable within and between models. We compared the prognostic performance of the BAP65 score, DECAF score, PEARL score, and modified early warning score (MEWS) in hospitalized patients with ECOPD, to estimate ventilatory support need. This cross-sectional study consisted of 139 patients. Patients in need of noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation support are grouped as ventilatory support groups (n = 54). Comparison between receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that the DECAF score is significantly superior to the PEARL score (p = 0.04) in discriminating patients in need of ventilatory support. DECAF score with a cutoff value of 1 presented the highest sensitivity and BAP65 score with a cutoff value of 2 presented the highest specificity in predicting ventilatory support need. Multivariable analysis revealed that gender played a significant role in COPD exacerbation outcome, and arterial pCO2 and RDW measurements were also predictors of ventilatory support need. Within severity indexes, only the DECAF score was independently associated with the outcome. One-point increase in DECAF score created a 1.43 times higher risk of ventilatory support need. All severity indexes showed a correlation with age, comorbidity index, and dyspnea. BAP65 and DECAF scores also showed a correlation with length of stay. Objective and practical classifications are needed by clinicians to assess prognosis and initiate treatment accordingly. DECAF score is a strong candidate among severity indexes.

ROLE OF MODIFIED EARLY WARNING SCORE IN EVALUATING MORTALITY IN POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD

Objectives: The intent of the study is to analyze the role of modified early warning score (MEWS) in the assessment of the need of early intervention and surgical intensive care unit (SICU) admission in patients undergoing elective and emergency major surgical procedures. Methods: This prospective study incorporated 150 patients who underwent emergency or elective major surgical procedures, with monitoring of physiological parameters in the post-operative period with implementation of MEWS. The MEWS score of 1–3: Escalation of monitoring done. MEWS of 4–5: Escalation of monitoring, urgent assessment by the surgical team, shift of patient to intensive care unit (ICU) if required. MEWS of ≥6: Shift of patient to ICU with emergency assessment by the surgical/medical/ICU team. Outcomes were (1) improvement in patients’ clinical condition after early goal-directed therapies (frequent monitoring, shifting to ICU), (2) discharged alive from the hospital, and (3) patient death. Results: In our study, all the patients with MEWS from 1 to 7 were discharged alive and all the patients with a score above ≥8 were succumbed to death suggesting MEWS score of ≥8 implicates the strict need for SICU admission and an increased mortality of the patient in the post-operative period. MEWS improved communication between nursing staff, junior doctors with surgical team to “flag-up” and prioritize patients. Conclusion: The MEWS is an important risk management tool that is simple to implement and effective in identifying the early deterioration of the patients, which can be used as a routine protocol in post-operative period and assessing the need of ICU for further interventions.

Comparison of four early warning scores in predicting the prognosis of critically ill patients in secondary hospitals

To explore the predictive value of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and modified early warning score (MEWS) in evaluating the prognosis of patients in intensive care unit (ICU) of secondary hospitals, and to provide guidance for clinical application. The clinical data of adult critical patients admitted to the ICU of Wanzhou District First People's Hospital from October 2022 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the clinical outcome of ICU, the patients were divided into improvement group and death group. The general information, blood routine, heart, liver and kidney function indicators, coagulation indicators, blood gas analysis, APACHE II score, SOFA score, qSOFA score, MEWS score at the time of admission to the ICU, the number of cases of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and continuous blood purification (CBP) were compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis was performed, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors of death. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to analyze the predictive value of the four scores in ICU patients. A total of 126 patients were included, of which 45 patients died in the ICU and 81 patients improved and transferred out. Univariate analysis of death-related critically ill patients showed that procalcitonin (PCT), serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin (ALB), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial prothrombin time (APTT), D-dimer, pH value, HCO3-, blood lactic acid (Lac), number of patients treated with IMV and CBP, APACHE II score, SOFA score, qSOFA score and MEWS score were significantly different between the two groups (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the APACHE II score [odds ratio (OR) = 1.115, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.025-1.213, P = 0.011], SOFA score (OR = 1.204, 95%CI was 1.037-1.398, P = 0.015), MEWS score (OR = 1.464, 95%CI was 1.102-1.946, P = 0.009), and APTT (OR = 1.081, 95%CI was 1.015-1.152, P = 0.016) were independent risk factors affecting the mortality of critically ill patients in the ICU. ROC curve analysis showed that APACHE II, SOFA, qSOFA, and MEWS scores could predict the prognosis of critically ill ICU patients, among which SOFA score had the strongest predictive effect, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.808. There was a statistically significant difference in the time required for the four scores (F = 117.333, P < 0.001), among which the MEWS scoring required the shortest time [(1.03±0.39) minutes], and the APACHE II scoring required the longest time [(2.81±1.04) minutes]. APACHE II, SOFA, qSOFA, and MEWS scores can be used to assess the severity of critically ill patients and predict in-hospital mortality. The SOFA score is superior to other scores in predicting severity. The MEWS is preferred because its assessment time is shortest. Early warning score can help secondary hospitals to detect potentially critical patients early and provide help for clinical rapid urgent emergency decision-making.

Modified Early Warning Score: Clinical Deterioration of Mexican Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 and Chronic Disease.

Retrospective observational study, 430 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and chronic disease. Instrument, Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS). Data analysis, with Cox and logistic regression, to predict survival and risk. Of 430 patients, 58.6% survived, and 41.4% did not. The risk was: low 53.5%, medium 23.7%, and high 22.8%. The MEWS score was similar between survivors 3.02, p 0.373 (95% CI: -0.225-0.597) and non-survivors 3.20 (95% CI: -0.224-0.597). There is a linear relationship between MEWS and mortality risk R 0.920, ANOVA 0.000, constant 4.713, and coefficient 4.406. The Cox Regression p 0.011, with a risk of deterioration of 0.325, with a positive coefficient, the higher the risk, the higher the mortality, while the invasive mechanical ventilation coefficient was negative -0.757. By providing oxygen and ventilation, mortality is lower. The predictive value of the modified early warning score in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and chronic disease is not predictive with the MEWS scale. Additional assessment is required to prevent complications, especially when patients are assessed as low-risk.

Evaluation of an adjusted MEWS (Modified Early Warning Score) for COVID-19 patients to identify risk of ICU admission or death in the Kingdom of Bahrain

BackgroundWhile most COVID-19 cases have uncomplicated infection, a small proportion has the potential to develop life-threatening disease, as such development of a prediction tool using patients baseline characteristics at the time of diagnosis should aid in early identification of high-risk groups and devise pertinent management. Hence, we set up this retrospective study to determine preadmission triaging tool to predict the development of severe COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Bahrain Materials and methodsA retrospective study was conducted from 1 September 2020 to 30 November 2020 with enrolment of all SARS-CoV-2 PCR-confirmed persons aged ≥ 14 years who attended Al-Shamil Field Hospital (SFH) in the Kingdom of Bahrain for triaging and assessment with recording of the following parameters: systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, the alert, verbal, pain, unresponsive neurological score, age, oxygen saturation, comorbidities, Body Mass Index (BMI), duration of symptoms and living with immunocompromised populations to develop our local adjusted MEWS as predictor for ICU admission & for consideration of suitable isolation at home.Follow up data of all patients was obtained from the electronic medical records system including CXR findings, treatments/medications received, need of oxygen supplements /intubation, needs of ICU care, and the outcome (death /discharged alive)IBM SPSS statistic version 21 program was used for data analysis. ResultsOur study showed that using the locally developed adjusted MEWS score, there was an significant association between high value of this adjusted MEWS score and abnormal radiographic finding (49.7 % Vs. 17 % for patients with high score Vs. those with low score respectively). Out of the 181 patients with high scores on adjusted MEWS; 38.7 % required oxygen via nasal cannula, 14.4 % required face mask and 8.3 % non-rebreather mask; this proportion was significantly higher than their counterpart patients who score low on adjusted MEWS (20.9 %, 7.7 %, 4.8 %respectively) with statistically significance difference between the two groups (p value of 0.00, 0.00,.004 respectively)Requirement of ICU admission was significantly higher among patients with high score in comparison to those with low score (14.4 % vs. 3 %) with significant p value (0.00)But higher score value was not associated significantly with increase mortality rate among COVID patients. ConclusionDevelopment of our new Adjusted MEWS score system by adding the additional elements of age, oxygen saturation, comorbidities, Body Mass Index (BMI) and duration of symptoms found to be very useful predictor tool for preadmission triaging of COVID patients based on their risk assessment to help clinician to decide on the appropriate placement to different level of isolation facilities.

Comparison of prognosis of five scoring systems in emphysematous pyelonephritis patients requiring intensive care

IntroductionOur study aimed to evaluate the performance of Quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), and Global Research in the Emphysematous Pyelonephritis group (GREMP) in predicting the need of admission in intensive care units (ICU) for emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) patient.Patients and methodsIn this retrospective study, we reviewed 70 patients admitted to our department from January 2008 to October 2022. Data on clinical presentation and EPN management were noted. The five scoring systems were calculated by one investigator. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess predictive factors of severe sepsis and mortality. Statistical analysis was made using SPSS version 22.ResultsMean age was 61.83 years with 65.7% diabetes. As per Huang and Tseng classification, 41 patients had class I EPN, 7 had class II EPN, 8 had class IIIa, 6 class IIIB EPN, and 8 had class IV EPN. Seventeen patients (24.28%) were admitted to ICU with an 18.57 mortality rate. Univariate analysis showed that ICU admission was significantly associated with higher respiration rate and heart rate, lower systolic blood pressure, confusion, CRP, lactate and creatinine serum (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001, p = 0.001, p = 0.007, p = 0.004, p = 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively). All five scores and Huang and Tseng classification were significantly predictive of admission to ICU. All five scores showed good results under the area curves to predict ICU entry with 0.915, 0.895, 0.968, 0.887, and 0.846 for qSOFA, MEWS score, NEWS score, SIRS, and GREMP score, respectively.ConclusionNEWS score seemed to be the best performing physiologic score among the five scoring systems studied and may help with biological and radiological findings to quickly identify EPN patients that need intensive care unit.

Early recognition of patient deterioration: Application of the modified early warning score

The aims of this study were to improve nursing students' ability to recognize, communicate and act upon early warning signs of patient deterioration. The Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) is a simple tool that nursing students can use to detect early patient deterioration. This pretest-posttest observational study revealed improvements in the MEWS scores, MEWS action algorithm, and adapted SBAR (S-situation, B-background, A-assessment, R-response) use. Nursing students may improve in identifying patient deterioration using the MEWS.

Prognostic value of early warning scores in patients presenting to the emergency department with exacerbation of COPD.

Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is acondition that frequently presents to the emergency department (ED) and its prognosis is not very well understood. Risk tools that can be used rapidly in the ED are needed to predict the prognosis of these patients. This study comprised aretrospective cohort of AECOPD patients presenting to asingle center between 2015 and 2022. The prognostic accuracy of several clinical early warning scoring systems, Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), NEWS‑2, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and the quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), were compared. The outcome variable was determined as one-month mortality. Of the 598patients, 63(10.5%) had died within 1month after presenting to the ED. Patients who died had more often congestive heart failure, altered mental status, and admission to intensive care, and they were older. Although the MEWS, NEWS, NEWS‑2, and qSOFA scores of those who died were higher than those who survived, there was no difference between the SIRS scores of these two groups. The score with the highest positive likelihood ratio for mortality estimation was qSOFA (8.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.7-19.6). The negative likelihood ratios of the scores were similar, the NEWS score had anegative likelihood ratio of 0.4 (95% CI 0.2-0.8) with the highest negative predictive value of 96.0%. In AECOPD patients, most of the early warning scores that are frequently used in the ED were found to have amoderate ability to exclude mortality and alow ability to predict mortality.

Improving Clinical Decision-Making: A Focus on Early Warning Systems and Scoring Methods

Dear Editor, Examinations, laboratory tests, radiology, and clinical experience are required to make the most appropriate clinical decisions. There is no single universal clinical decision-making method advocated in routine medical literature. Often, this process is driven by experience, exploration, and clinical gestalt. Clinician management serves as a subjective decision tool in disease management. It has been extensively studied in the literature, particularly in entities such as pulmonary embolism, difficult airway prediction, and severe COVID-19 (1). By combining parameters such as laboratory-vital parameters and combined hematological parameters, clinical decision-making tools have been developed (2-3). Early warning systems (EWS) help predict which patients will require critical care by evaluating physiological parameters in busy and crowded workspaces. These scores, which can be measured through vital parameters and a simple physical examination, ensure the effective use of resources (4). In intensive care units (ICUs), complex systems are used to predict mortality. APACHE II is the most well-known score used in intensive care, consisting of many parameters that are computationally difficult. Vital parameters, biochemical tests, and blood gas analysis results are used when calculating APACHE II (5). On the other hand, important features of scores used in the emergency department are their quick and easy calculation, requiring no professional knowledge. The VitalPAC Early Warning Score (ViEWS), developed by Prytherch et al. in 2010, is an EWS that includes six physiological parameters. This score records the pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory minute rate, body temperature, level of consciousness (assessed by AVPU), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) parameters. ViEWS is created based on the degree of deviation of these six parameters from their normal ranges. Additional points are given if the patient receives oxygen support. The total ViEWS value, calculated by considering each parameter, provides information about the patient's prognosis (6). By adding the rapid lactate level to ViEWS (ViEWS-L), a score that better predicts outcomes in the geriatric population was developed (7). The Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) is one of the triage scoring methods used to identify patients in need of intensive and critical care, and to expedite their transfer to the intensive care unit. It evaluates systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and neurological status. MEWS is included in routine nursing care procedures in some countries and is routinely assessed by nurses. ICU admission rates and mortality rates increase for those who score 5 or more on this scale, although this threshold may vary in different populations or clinical situations. In a Korean study analyzing sepsis patients, combining lactate with the MEWS score improved the prediction of the need for intensive care (8). The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is another scoring system used to determine clinical deterioration and follow-up level for all hospitalized patients, as well as to predict clinically high-risk patients. It is calculated by evaluating respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, oxygen support status, blood pressure, body temperature, and neurological status. The NEWS-L score, obtained by combining NEWS with lactate, has been reported to be superior to NEWS alone in geriatric critically ill patients (9). However, contrary to the geriatric patient study, Özkan's study reported that NEWS-L was not superior to NEWS and that they exhibited similar predictive abilities (10). As a result, researchers are actively working on new parameters and scoring systems to optimize resource utilization and predict critical illness. Researchers should be encouraged to investigate studies on EWS lactate combinations or other combinations.

Observation and evaluation of the application effect of a dynamic scoring method in the emergency department of primary hospital

To establish a new emergency dynamic score (EDS) method based on modified early warning score (MEWS) combined with clinical symptoms, rapidly available examination results and bedside examination data in the emergency department, and to observe its applicability and feasibility in the clinical application of emergency department. A total of 500 patients admitted to the department of emergency of Xing'an County People's Hospital from July 2021 to April 2022 were selected as research objects. After admission, EDS and MEWS scores were performed first, and then acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) was performed retrospectively, and the prognosis of patients was followed up. The difference of short-term mortality in patients with different score segments of EDS, MEWS and APACHE II were compared. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the prognostic value of various scoring methods in critically ill patients. The mortality of patients in different score groups of each scoring method increased with the increase of the score value [The mortality of 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 and ≥ 8 of MEWS were 1.9% (3/159), 2.9% (6/208), 12.4% (11/89), 29.0% (9/31) and 61.5% (8/13), respectively. The mortality of EDS stage 1 weighted MEWS score 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 and ≥ 13 were 0 (0/49), 3.2% (8/247), 6.6% (10/152), 31.9% (15/47) and 80.0% (4/5), respectively. The mortality of EDS stage 2 clinical symptom score 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, ≥ 20 were 0 (0/13), 0.4% (1/235), 3.6% (6/165), 26.2% (17/65), 59.1% (13/22), respectively. The mortality of EDS stage 3 rapid test data score 0-6, 7-12, 13-18, 19-24 and ≥ 25 were 0 (0/16), 0.6% (1/159), 4.6% (6/131), 13.7% (7/51) and 65.0% (13/20), respectively. The mortality of patients with APACHE II score 0-6, 7-12, 13-18, 19-24 and ≥ 25 were 1.9% (1/53), 0.4% (1/277), 4.6% (5/108), 34.2% (13/38) and 70.8% (17/24), respectively, all P < 0.01]. When the MEWS score was more than 4, the specificity was 87.0%, the sensitivity was 67.6%, and the maximum Youden index was 0.546, which was the best cut-off point. When the weighted MEWS score of EDS in the first stage was greater than 7, the specificity of predicting the prognosis of patients was 76.2%, the sensitivity was 70.3%, and the maximum Youden index was 0.465, which was the best cut-off point. When clinical symptom score of EDS in the second stage was more than 14, the specificity and sensitivity of predicting the prognosis of patients were 87.7% and 81.1%, respectively, and the maximum Youden index was 0.688, which was the best cut-off point. When the third stage rapid test of EDS reached 15 points, the specificity of predicting the prognosis of patients was 70.9%, and the sensitivity was 96.3%, and the maximum Youden index was 0.672, which was the best cut-off point. When APACHE II score was higher than 16, the specificity was 87.9%, the sensitivity was 86.5%, and the maximum Youden index was 0.743, which was the best cut-off point. ROC curve analysis showed that: EDS score in the stage 1, 2 and 3, MEWS score and APACHE II score can predict the short-term mortality risk of critically ill patients. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were 0.815 (0.726-0.905), 0.913 (0.867-0.959), 0.911 (0.860-0.962), 0.844 (0.755-0.933) and 0.910 (0.833-0.987), all P < 0.01. In terms of the differential ability to predict the risk of death in the short-term, the AUC in the second and third stages of EDS were highly close to APACHE II score (0.913, 0.911 vs. 0.910), and significantly higher than MEWS score (0.913, 0.911 vs. 0.844, both P < 0.05). EDS method can dynamically evaluate emergency patients in stages, and has the characteristics of fast, simple, easy to obtain test and inspection data, which can facilitate emergency doctors to evaluate emergency patients objectively and quickly. It has strong ability to predict the prognosis of emergency patients, and is worth popularizing in emergency departments of primary hospitals.

Recognition of Critically Ill Patients by Acute Health Care Providers: A Multicenter Observational Study.

Although the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) is increasingly being used in the acute care chain to recognize disease severity, its superiority compared with clinical gestalt remains unproven. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of medical caregivers and MEWS in predicting the development of critical illness. This was a multicenter observational prospective study. It was performed in a level-1 trauma center with two different sites and emergency departments (EDs) with a combined capacity of about 50.000 patients annually. It included all adult patients presented to the ED by Emergency Medical Services (EMS). None. For all patients, the acute caregivers were asked several standardized questions regarding clinical predicted outcome (clinical gestalt), and the MEWS was calculated. The primary outcome was the occurrence of critical illness, defined as ICU admission, serious adverse events, and mortality within 72 hours. The sensitivity, specificity, and discriminative power of both clinical gestalt and MEWS for the occurrence of critical illness were calculated as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Among the total of 800 included patients, 113 patients (14.1%) suffered from critical illness. The specificity for predicting three-day critical illness for all caregivers (for EMS nurses, ED nurses, and physicians) was 93.2%; 97.3%, and 96.8%, respectively, and was significantly (p < 0.01) better than an MEWS score of 3 or higher (70.4%). The sensitivity was significantly lower for EMS and ED nurses, but not significantly different for physicians compared with MEWS. The AUROCs for prediction of 3-day critical illness by both the ED nurses (AUROC = 0.809) and the physicians (AUROC = 0.848) were significantly higher (p = 0.032 and p = 0.010, respectively) compared with MEWS (AUROC = 0.731). For patients admitted to the ED by EMS, medical professionals can predict the development of critical illness within 3 days significantly better than the MEWS. Although MEWS is able to correctly predict those patients that become critically ill, its use leads to overestimation due to a substantial number of false positives.

Screening tools for predicting mortality of adults with suspected sepsis: an international sepsis cohort validation study

ObjectivesWe evaluated the performance of commonly used sepsis screening tools across prospective sepsis cohorts in the USA, Cambodia and Ghana.DesignProspective cohort studies.Setting and participantsFrom 2014 to 2021, participants with two...

A Comparative Study between SIRS, QSOFA, NEWS AND MEWS Score as Predictors for Inhospital Mortality of Patients Getting Admitted To ICU of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Sepsis screening in the Emergency Department (ED) is necessary for the rational management of patients. Multiple severity screening scores such as Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), and the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) are available. Though "Sepsis-3" recommends the use of the qSOFA score. This study seeks to validate each of these scores in a critical care setting and identify the score with the greatest predictive value for in hospital mortality. This comparative study included 188 patients determined to have sepsis. The information required for calculating SIRS, qSOFA, NEWS, and MEWS was extracted with careful history taking, patient assessment, and necessary investigations. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) for each scoring system were measured for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) mortality. qSOFA had the highest specificity (73.61%) and the lowest sensitivity (36.02%). SIRS and NEWS scores had the highest sensitivity (77.78%) while SIRS had the lowest specificity (23.88%). The NEWS score had a specificity of 41.79%. MEWS score had an intermediate sensitivity of 76.36% and specificity of 63.91%. The ability to predict ICU mortality was highest for MEWS≥5 score (AUC 0.76; 95 % CI 0.68-0.84) compared to NEWS≥5 (AUC 0.61; 95% CI 0.52-0.71), qSOFA≥2 (AUC 0.56; 95% CI 0.46-0.66), and SIRS≥2 (AUC 0.49; 95% CI 0.37-0.61). By comparing HSROC curves, the MEWS score showed higher overall prognostic accuracy than SIRS, qSOFA and NEWS. Among qSOFA, SIRS, NEWS, and MEWS, the MEWS score showed the highest overall prognostic accuracy. However, no scoring system showed both high sensitivity and specificity for predicting the accuracy of mortality in patients with sepsis.

A combination of the Modified Early Warning Score and the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale as a triage tool in patients with infection.

We evaluated the utility of the Korean Modified Early Warning Score (KMEWS), which combines the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) and the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS), as a triage tool to screen for infection in patients who visit the emergency department. We retrospectively reviewed data extracted from electronic medical records. Patients aged ≥18 years with an infection who were admitted to the hospital via the emergency department between January 2018 and December 2019 were eligible for inclusion. The KMEWS score was calculated as the sum of the KTAS level and the MEWS score. We generated receiver operating characteristic curves and determined the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the KMEWS, KTAS, MEWS, and Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) scales. The primary outcome was septic shock, and secondary outcomes were intensive care unit admission and in-hospital mortality. The AUC values (95% confidence interval) for predicting septic shock were as follows: KMEWS, 0.910 (0.902-0.918); MEWS, 0.896 (0.887-0.904); KTAS score, 0.809 (0.798-0.819); and MEDS, 0.927 (0.919-0.934). The AUC values (95% confidence interval) for predicting in-hospital mortality were as follows: KMEWS, 0.752 (0.740-0.764); MEWS, 0.717 (0.704-0.729); KTAS score, 0.764 (0.752-0.776); and MEDS, 0.844 (0.834-0.854). The AUC values (95% confidence interval) for predicting intensive care unit admission were as follows: KMEWS, 0.826 (0.816-0.837); MEWS, 0.782 (0.770-0.793); KTAS score, 0.821 (0.810-0.831); and MEDS, 0.839 (0.829-0.849). The KMEWS, which is a combination of the MEWS and the KTAS scores, might be a useful triage tool in emergency department patients who present with infection, particularly for predicting septic shock.

Differences in symptoms and utility of MEWS score in geriatric patients with COVID-19

Introduction: Rational resource management was key to avoiding overcrowding in Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) dedicated wards. The study aimed to identify specific symptoms for aged patients with COVID-19 and assess the utility of the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) as a tool that may support decisions within an emergency department (ED). Material and methods: This was a retrospective analysis of medical records. ED patients with positive antigen tests for COVID-19 infection were identified. Patients’ history, length of stay (LOS) and vital signs were collected. MEWS score was calculated. Age groups were divided as follows: non-geriatric (NG) — aged under 60; geriatric groups (G): G1 — aged 60–74; G2 — aged 75–89; G3 — aged 90 and over. Results: There were 777 individuals (261 NG and 510 G patients). Symptoms related to pain as well as anosmia and ageusia occurred more often in NG patients. The longest LOS was in G2 — 182 [101–295] minutes. A significantly shorter LOS (51 [24–156] minutes) was recorded in NG (NG vs. G1 p &lt; 0.0001; NG vs. G2 p &lt; 0.0001; NG vs. G3 p = 0.0007). Admission rate was as follow: NG: 17.24%, G1: 50.97%, G2: 61.43%, G3: 54.17. Accuracy parameters for MEWS score (NG vs G, [%]) were as follow: sensitivity (93.18 vs. 91.04), specificity (13.04 vs. 11.79), positive predictive value (18.55 vs. 52.88), negative predictive value (90.00 vs. 54.76). Conclusions: Geriatric patients spent more time in ED and were admitted more often. Seniors were less likely to experience pain. MEWS is not a valuable tool for supporting decisions concerning the admission or discharge of geriatric patients with COVID-19.

Retrospective Study to Identify Risk Factors for Severe Disease and Mortality Using the Modified Early Warning Score in 5127 Patients with COVID-19 Admitted to an Emergency Department in Poland Between March 2020 and April 2021.

BACKGROUND COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, has posed a threat to global public health. This retrospective study of 5127 patients with COVID-19 admitted to an Emergency Department in Poland between March 2020 and April 2021 aimed to identify risk factors for severe disease and mortality using the modified early warning score (MEWS). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was based on a retrospective analysis of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the Emergency Department between March 2020 and April 2021. A total of 5127 cases were included in the final analysis. Identifying the group of high-risk patients with COVID-19 was determined based on the MEWS score. RESULTS Most of the patients studied were male (53.38%). The in-hospital mortality rate among the patients was 21.53%. The factors associated with the risk of in-hospital mortality from COVID-19 were age (>60 years, hazard ratio [HR]=2.27, P<0.001), comorbidities (cancer, HR=1.39, P=0.005; heart failure, HR=1.31, P=0.009; renal failure, HR=1.37, P=0.004), higher MEWS score (MEWS ≥5, HR=1.43, P<0.001), higher percentage of lung parenchyma affected (>50%, HR=2.10, P=0.001), and higher respiratory rate (>24 breaths per min, HR=2.10, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study produced real-world data of risk factors for mortality from COVID-19 and the use of the MEWS for a faster identification of patients with COVID-19 requiring more intensive medical care.

The impact of a sepsis performance improvement program in the emergency department: a before–after intervention study

PurposeThe latest Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines advocate that all hospitals use sepsis performance improvement programs. However, there is a limited evidence about how to structure such programs and what their potential impact is on sepsis management and outcomes in the emergency department (ED). In this study, we evaluated the implementation of a sepsis performance improvement program in the ED including a dedicated sepsis response team and analyzed the management and outcomes of sepsis patients before and after.MethodsWe conducted a before–after interventional study in the ED of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, the Netherlands. The sepsis performance improvement program included regular educational meetings, daily audits and weekly feedback, a screening tool, and a dedicated multidisciplinary sepsis response team. We studied all adult patients who presented to the ED with a suspected infection and a Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) ≥ 3 during their stay. In the postintervention phase, these patients were seen by the sepsis team. Process-related and patient-related outcomes were measured between November 2019 and February 2020 (preintervention) and December 2021–May 2022 (postintervention).ResultsA total of 265 patients were included in the primary study, 132 patients preintervention and 133 patients postintervention. The postintervention phase was associated with improvements in nearly all process-related outcomes, such as a shorter time to antibiotics (66 vs. 143 min; p < 0.001), increased number of lactate measurements (72.9 vs. 46.2%; p < 0.001), and improved completeness of documented MEWS scores (85.0 vs. 62.9%; p < 0.001). Except for an improvement in the number of immediate versus delayed ICU admissions (100% immediate vs. 64.3% immediate; p = 0.012), there was no improvement in the other patient-related outcomes such as 28 days mortality (14.3 vs. 9.1%; p = 0.261), during the postintervention phase.ConclusionOur program stimulated physicians to make timely decisions regarding diagnostics and treatment of sepsis in the ED. Implementing the sepsis performance improvement program was associated with significant improvements in most process-related outcomes but with minimal improvements in patient-related outcomes in our cohort.

Effect of Vitamin D Concentration on Course of COVID-19.

BackgroundThe course of COVID-19 disease is associated with immune deregulation and excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D has an immunomodulatory effect. We aimed to assess the possible correlation between the incidence and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and serum vitamin D concentration.Material/MethodsA total of 505 successive patients admitted to a COVID-19-dedicated hospital were included in the retrospective analysis. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR throat swab test results were determined for each patient. The course of COVID-19 was assessed on the basis of the serum Vitamin Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), which includes respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and state of consciousness), as well as number of days spent in the intensive care unit (ICU) and need for oxygen therapy.ResultsThere was no difference in 25-OHD concentration between COVID-19-confirmed and negative results of the PCR tests. No correlation was found between serum 25-OHD in the COVID(+) group and the need for and time spend in the ICU, as well as the MEWS score. Multivariate analyses showed a positive correlation between need for oxygen therapy and lower 25-OHD concentration, as well as older age (P<0.001) and similar positive correlation between need for ventilation therapy with lower 25-OHD concentration, as well as older age (P=0.005).ConclusionsOur findings do not support a potential link between vitamin D concentrations and the incidence of COVID-19, but low vitamin D serum level in COVID-19 patients might worsen the course of the disease and increase the need for oxygen supplementation or ventilation therapy.

Modified Early Warning Score vs Cardiac Arrest Risk Triage Score for Prediction of Cardiopulmonary Arrest: A Case-Control Study.

Delayed transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) contributes to increased mortality. Clinical tools, developed to shorten this delay, are especially useful in hospitals where the ideal healthcare provider-to-patient ratio is not met. This study aimed to validate and compare the accuracy of the well-accepted modified early warning score (MEWS) and the newer cardiac arrest risk triage (CART) score in the Philippine setting. This case-control study involved 82 adult patients admitted to the Philippine Heart Center. Patients who had cardiopulmonary (CP) arrest at the wards and those transferred to the ICU were included. Vital signs and alert-verbal-pain-unresponsive (AVPU) scales were recorded from recruitment until 48 hours prior to CP arrest or ICU transfer. The MEWS and CART scores were computed at specific time points and compared using measures of validity. The highest accuracy was obtained by the CART score with a cut-off of ≥12 at 8 hours prior to CP arrest or ICU transfer, with a specificity of 80.43% and sensitivity of 66.67%. At this time point, the MEWS with a cut-off of ≥3 had a specificity of 78.26% but a lower sensitivity of 58.33%. The area under the curve (AUC) analysis revealed that these differences were not statistically significant. We recommend an MEWS threshold of 3 and a CART score threshold of 12 to help identify patients at risk for clinical deterioration. The CART score had comparable accuracy to the MEWS, but the latter's computation may be easier. Tan ADA, Permejo CC, Torres MCD. Modified Early Warning Score vs Cardiac Arrest Risk Triage Score for Prediction of Cardiopulmonary Arrest: A Case-Control Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(7):780-785.

In-hospital mortality prediction using frailty scale and severity score in elderly patients with severe COVID-19.

BackgroundElderly patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have a high disease severity and mortality. However, the use of the frailty scale and severity score to predict in-hospital mortality in the elderly is not well established. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the use of these scores in COVID-19 cases in the elderly.MethodsThis multicenter retrospective study included severe COVID-19 patients admitted to seven hospitals in Korea from February 2020 to February 2021. We evaluated patients’ Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score; confusion, urea nitrogen, respiratory rate, blood pressure, 65 years of age and older (CURB-65) score; modified early warning score (MEWS); Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score; clinical frailty scale (CFS) score; and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). We evaluated the predictive value using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.ResultsThe study included 318 elderly patients with severe COVID-19 of whom 237 (74.5%) were survivors and 81 (25.5%) were non-survivors. The non-survivor group was older and had more comorbidities than the survivor group. The CFS, CCI, APACHE II, SOFA, CURB-65, and MEWS scores were higher in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group. When analyzed using the ROC curve, SOFA score showed the best performance in predicting the prognosis of elderly patients (area under the curve=0.766, P<0.001). CFS and SOFA scores were associated with in-hospital mortality in the multivariate analysis.ConclusionsThe SOFA score is an efficient tool for assessing in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with severe COVID-19.