Initial MEWS score to predict ICU admission or transfer of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a retrospective study.

Early warning scores (EWS) were introduced in early 2001 to identify patients at risk of deterioration in a busy clinical environment as a track-and-trigger system where an increasing score produced an escalated response.1Subbe C. Kruger M. Rutherford P. Gemmel L. Validation of a modified Early Warning Score in medical admissions.QJM. 2001; 94: 521-526Crossref PubMed Google Scholar EWS have demonstrated better capability in identifying deteriorating patients leading to improved clinical outcomes.2Jayasundera R. Neilly M. Smith T. Myint P. Are early warning scores useful predictors for mortality and morbidity in hospitalised acutely unwell older patients? A systematic review.J Clin Med. 2018; 7: 309Crossref Google Scholar Furthermore, an EWS at admission can be used to determine in-hospital mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) transfer.2Jayasundera R. Neilly M. Smith T. Myint P. Are early warning scores useful predictors for mortality and morbidity in hospitalised acutely unwell older patients? A systematic review.J Clin Med. 2018; 7: 309Crossref Google Scholar, 3Cei M. Bartolomei C. Mumoli N. In-hospital mortality and morbidity of elderly medical patients can be predicted at admission by the Modified Early Warning Score: a prospective study.Int J Clin Pract. 2009; 63: 591-595Crossref PubMed Scopus (65) Google Scholar, 4Meylan S. Akrour R. Regina J. Bart P.A. Dami F. Calandra T. An early warning score to predict ICU admission in COVID-19 positive patients [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 28].J Infect. 2020; (S0163-4453(20)30324-8)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2020.05.047Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar Our academic medical center developed a modified early warning score (MEWS) system in 2015 and it was rolled out hospital-wide the following year. Since serious adverse events in hospitalized patients are often preceded by signs of clinical deterioration, we believed MEWS scores could be used to predict events, such as cardiopulmonary arrest. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, could MEWS provide any usefulness in predicting ICU level care among hospitalized COVID-19 patients?