INTRODUCTION

OF

EARLY WARNING
SYSTEM

 Early detection,
timeliness and
competency of clinical
response are a triad of
determinants of
clinical outcome in
people with acute
illness.
Numerous recent
national reports on
acute clinical care
have advocated the
use of so-called early

Six physiological parameters

included in the EWS

Respiratory rate
Oxygen
saturations

Pulse rate

Temperature
Systolic blood
pressure

Level of
consciousness

A low score (NEW score 14)

should prompt
assessment by a competent registered nurse who should
decide if a change to frequency of clinical monitoring or an
escalation of clinical care is required.

A medium score (ie NEW score of 56 or

a RED score (a score of 3 in any one
parameter which is colourcoded RED on
the observation chart)) should prompt an urgent
review by a clinician skilled with competencies in the
assessment of acute illness usually a ward-based doctor or
acute team nurse, who should consider whether escalation of
care to a team with critical-care skills is required (ie critical
care outreach team).

A high score (NEW score of 7 or more)

should prompt emergency assessment by a clinical
team/critical
care
outreach
team
with
critical-care
competencies and usually transfer of the patient to a higher
dependency care area.

Recommend that the routine clinical

assessment of all adult patients

The NEWS should not be used in

children , or women who are pregnant
because the physiological response to
acute illness can be modified in
children and by pregnancy. The
chronically disturbed physiology of
some patients with chronic obstructive
pulmonary
disease
(COPD)
could
influence the sensitivity of the NEWS
Recommend that the NEWS be used as
an aid to clinical assessment and not as
a substitute for competent clinical
judgement.

THANK YOU