Performance of NEWS, qSOFA, and SIRS Scores for Assessing Mortality, Early Bacterial Infection, and Admission to ICU in COVID-19 Patients in the Emergency Department

Author(s)

Alencar, Julio ; Gomez, Luz Marina Gomez ; Cortez, Andre Lazzeri ; de Souza, Heraldo Possolo ; Levin, Anna Sara ; Salomao, Matias Chiarastelli ; HCFMUSP COVID-19 Study Grp

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE; v. 9, p. 12-pg., 2022-03-02.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infection has a wide spectrum of presentations, from asymptomatic to pneumonia and sepsis. Risk scores have been used as triggers for protocols that combine several interventions for early management of sepsis. This study tested the accuracy of the score SIRS, qSOFA, and NEWS in predicting outcomes, including mortality and bacterial infection, in patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We described 2,473 cases of COVID-19 admitted to the ED of the largest referral hospital for severe COVID-19 in Brazil during the pandemic. SIRS, qSOFA and NEWS scores showed a poor performance as prognostic scores. However, NEWS score had a high sensitivity to predict in-hospital death (0.851), early bacterial infection (0.851), and ICU admission (0.868), suggesting that it may be a good screening tool for severe cases of COVID-19, despite its low specificity. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/23078-1 - Evaluation of elderly people at an emergency service
• Grantee: Luz Marina Gómez Gómez
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 20/04738-8 - Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome due to COVID-19 in an emergency department
• Grantee: Heraldo Possolo de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/14566-4 - Diagnostic and prognostic markers in patients admitted to an emergency department
• Grantee: Heraldo Possolo de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants