MEWS: predicts hospital admission and mortality in emergency department patients

The paper by Burch et al 1 on the modified early warning (MEW) score predicting hospital admission and inhospital mortality is both interesting and topical. I agree with the authors that the MEW score, a risk assessment tool now widely used in UK emergency departments (ED) to facilitate the early identification of high-risk patients, is a good predictor of inhospital mortality.2 I also share the authors’ concerns that there are limitations to using the MEW score and that the MEW …