Drs. Nathan E. Kirsch, Matthew Warren, and Rajany Dy (all Medicine) recently presented their project at the American College of Chest Physicians meeting. The abstract, “The Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) as a Predictor of Unanticipated ICU Admission at the time of Rapid Response” was published in CHEST Journal.

The study's aim was to determine a MEWS threshold that obviates the need for medical intensive care unit (MICU) admission and to determine any relationship between MEWS, mortality, and MICU length of stay after rapid response. The authors found that elevation of pulse, respiratory rate, and decreased systolic blood pressure were associated with increased risk of MICU admission, increased risk of intra admission mortality, and increased risk of lengthened MICU admission duration. The authors hope that this study will help improve timely disposition of decompensating medical patients to the MICU using the MEWS score.

All three are part of the department of internal medicine.