RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 NEWS 2 – too little evidence to implement?
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 371
OP 373
DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-5-371
VO 18
IS 5
A1 Luke E Hodgson
A1 Jo Congleton
A1 Richard Venn
A1 Lui G Forni
A1 Paul J Roderick
YR 2018
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/18/5/371.abstract
AB The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) recently published the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2), aiming to improve safety for patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure by suggesting a separate oxygen saturation (SpO2) parameter scoring system for such patients. A previously published study of patients (n=2,361 admissions) with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) demonstrated alternative scoring systems at admission did not outperform the original NEWS. Applying NEWS2 SpO2 parameters to this previously described cohort would have resulted in 44% (n=27/62) of patients who scored ≥7 points on the original NEWS and subsequently died being placed in a lower call-out threshold. NEWS2 loses the benefits of a unified, standardised scoring system and we suggest prospective research in this area before applying this adjustment.