A single early warning signs (SEWS) system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score (NEWS) by having a lower activation threshold, broader clinical scope, and faster response time

Background: The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is a vital-signs point summation system developed to identify patients at risk of adverse events including cardiac arrests, unplanned ICU admissions, and deaths. The points are usually calculated by the Electronic Health Record after charting, reco...

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Main Authors: Raúl J. Gazmuri, Rebecca Bieber, Calis Lim, Mylene Apigo, Ma Lea Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Resuscitation Plus
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666520425000840
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author Raúl J. Gazmuri
Rebecca Bieber
Calis Lim
Mylene Apigo
Ma Lea Martin
author_facet Raúl J. Gazmuri
Rebecca Bieber
Calis Lim
Mylene Apigo
Ma Lea Martin
author_sort Raúl J. Gazmuri
collection DOAJ
description Background: The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is a vital-signs point summation system developed to identify patients at risk of adverse events including cardiac arrests, unplanned ICU admissions, and deaths. The points are usually calculated by the Electronic Health Record after charting, recommending local actions and Rapid Response System (RRS) activation when reaching ≥ 7 points. NEWS, however, lacks consistent evidence that it improves outcome and may lead to alarm fatigue. At our institution we operate a Single Early Warning Signs (SEWS) system for RRS activation with a broader range of abnormal signs, without point summation, and bedside assessment within 10 min. Methods: We analyzed 182 RRS activations using SEWS from July 1, 2022, to August 21, 2023, and compared the activation thresholds and dispositions that would have occurred had NEWS been used. Findings: At the time of RRS activation using SEWS, only 10 patients (5.5%) had scored ≥ 7 NEWS points. Of the remaining 172 patients, 158 (86.8%) scored 0 to 4 NEWS points considered low risk and 14 (7.7%) scored 5 to 6 NEWS points considered medium risk (p < 0.001). Yet, 122 patients (67%) were transferred to a higher level of care including 58 patients (31.8%) to ICU. The median in-hospital cardiac arrest during the reported period was 0.8 per 1000 hospital admissions, which is substantially lower than reported rates. Conclusion: SEWS operating with a broader clinical scope, lower activation threshold, and faster RRS activation outperformed NEWS markedly reducing in-hospital cardiac arrests.
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spelling doaj-art-8fcbffab7eeb4206ac140aceccd88adc2025-08-20T03:53:56ZengElsevierResuscitation Plus2666-52042025-05-012310094710.1016/j.resplu.2025.100947A single early warning signs (SEWS) system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score (NEWS) by having a lower activation threshold, broader clinical scope, and faster response timeRaúl J. Gazmuri0Rebecca Bieber1Calis Lim2Mylene Apigo3Ma Lea Martin4Critical Care Section at the CAPT James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, IL, United States; Resuscitation Institute at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; Corresponding author at: Resuscitation Institute Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science 3333 Green Bay Rd., North Chicago, IL 60064, United States.Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United StatesChicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United StatesCritical Care Section at the CAPT James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, IL, United StatesCritical Care Section at the CAPT James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, IL, United StatesBackground: The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is a vital-signs point summation system developed to identify patients at risk of adverse events including cardiac arrests, unplanned ICU admissions, and deaths. The points are usually calculated by the Electronic Health Record after charting, recommending local actions and Rapid Response System (RRS) activation when reaching ≥ 7 points. NEWS, however, lacks consistent evidence that it improves outcome and may lead to alarm fatigue. At our institution we operate a Single Early Warning Signs (SEWS) system for RRS activation with a broader range of abnormal signs, without point summation, and bedside assessment within 10 min. Methods: We analyzed 182 RRS activations using SEWS from July 1, 2022, to August 21, 2023, and compared the activation thresholds and dispositions that would have occurred had NEWS been used. Findings: At the time of RRS activation using SEWS, only 10 patients (5.5%) had scored ≥ 7 NEWS points. Of the remaining 172 patients, 158 (86.8%) scored 0 to 4 NEWS points considered low risk and 14 (7.7%) scored 5 to 6 NEWS points considered medium risk (p < 0.001). Yet, 122 patients (67%) were transferred to a higher level of care including 58 patients (31.8%) to ICU. The median in-hospital cardiac arrest during the reported period was 0.8 per 1000 hospital admissions, which is substantially lower than reported rates. Conclusion: SEWS operating with a broader clinical scope, lower activation threshold, and faster RRS activation outperformed NEWS markedly reducing in-hospital cardiac arrests.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666520425000840Clinical deteriorationElectronic health recordIn-hospital cardiac arrestNational early warning scoreRapid response systemsVital signs
spellingShingle Raúl J. Gazmuri
Rebecca Bieber
Calis Lim
Mylene Apigo
Ma Lea Martin
A single early warning signs (SEWS) system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score (NEWS) by having a lower activation threshold, broader clinical scope, and faster response time
Resuscitation Plus
Clinical deterioration
Electronic health record
In-hospital cardiac arrest
National early warning score
Rapid response systems
Vital signs
title A single early warning signs (SEWS) system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score (NEWS) by having a lower activation threshold, broader clinical scope, and faster response time
title_full A single early warning signs (SEWS) system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score (NEWS) by having a lower activation threshold, broader clinical scope, and faster response time
title_fullStr A single early warning signs (SEWS) system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score (NEWS) by having a lower activation threshold, broader clinical scope, and faster response time
title_full_unstemmed A single early warning signs (SEWS) system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score (NEWS) by having a lower activation threshold, broader clinical scope, and faster response time
title_short A single early warning signs (SEWS) system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score (NEWS) by having a lower activation threshold, broader clinical scope, and faster response time
title_sort single early warning signs sews system for recognizing clinically deterioration outperforms the national early warning score news by having a lower activation threshold broader clinical scope and faster response time
topic Clinical deterioration
Electronic health record
In-hospital cardiac arrest
National early warning score
Rapid response systems
Vital signs
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666520425000840
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