Effectiveness of Early Warning Scores in Critical Patient Detection: A Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v8i6.2769Keywords:
critical patient, deterioration, early warning score, mortality, news, triageAbstract
Clinical deterioration in critically ill patients requires early recognition to prevent adverse outcomes. Early Warning Scores (EWS) provide a structured assessment of physiological parameters to identify patients at risk of deterioration. This literature review aims to analyse the effectiveness of Early Warning Scores in the early detection of critical patient conditions based on predictive ability, clinical outcomes, and implementation factors. Method: A literature review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. Literature searches were performed through Google Scholar and PubMed using relevant keywords. Articles published between 2022 and 2026 in Indonesian or English were included, with a cross-sectional design and full-text availability. Based on the literature screening process using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) method, eight articles met the inclusion criteria out of a total of 1,570 articles. Subsequently, these eight articles were selected and included in the literature review for further analysis. The reviewed studies showed that EWS can effectively identify patients at risk of clinical deterioration, intensive care admission, and mortality. NEWS, NEWS2, MEWS, TREWS, and other scoring systems demonstrated good predictive ability across various clinical populations. EWS also supports early risk stratification and prioritisation of patient care, although its use should be combined with clinical judgement. Early Warning Scores are effective tools for supporting the early detection of critical patients and clinical deterioration. Their appropriate application can assist healthcare professionals in identifying high-risk patients and initiating timely clinical responses.
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