Early Clinical Deterioration Risk Assessment in Inpatient Units of a Public University Hospital.

Background: Clinical deterioration occurs due to changes in vital signs, which can be identified early to prevent negative outcomes. We used the NEWS2 system to assess the potential for early clinical deterioration in adult inpatient units at a public university hospital in southeastern Brazil.

Materials and methods: This was an exploratory study conducted at a public hospital in southeastern Brazil, following the guidelines of the Reporting of Strengthening Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) initiative. Data was collected from January to April 2021, involving 251 inpatients. A questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic and clinical data, and the Brazilian version of NEWS2 was used to assess the risk of clinical deterioration. Data analysis included descriptive analyses, linear correlation tests, and comparative tests.

Results: The average NEWS2 score was 2.9 points among 251 patients, indicating a moderate level of care complexity and recommending assessment by a registered nurse every 4-6 hours. There was no significant correlation between age and NEWS2 score, but the NEWS2 score was significantly higher for men.

Conclusions: This study highlights the necessity of using robust assessment tools to evaluate the risk of early clinical deterioration, enabling clinicians to manage patient conditions effectively.