Early Warning Scores

EARLY WARNING SCORES

Physiological track and trigger systems should be used to monitor all adult patients in hospital. An example of a physiological track and trigger system is the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2). This is a simple scoring system used to aid recognition of acutely ill patients or patients who are deteriorating. An increasing score triggers a call for assessment from the medical team.

All early warning score systems at a minimum should monitor:

Respiratory Rate
Oxygen Saturations
Systolic Blood pressure
Heart rate
Level of consciousness
Temperature

NEWS2 uses the following observations:

Respiratory rate
Oxygen saturations
Respiratory support
Systolic blood pressure
Heart Rate
Conscious level (ACVPU)
Temperature

A rising NEWS2 indicates a deterioration in the patients clinical condition and triggers a specific response:

Observation chart

Observation chart (reverse)
e-Observation chart