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. 2022 Nov;22(6):522-524.
doi: 10.7861/clinmed.2022-0426.

NEWS2 and the older person

Emma Rlc Vardy  1 , Daniel Lasserson  2 , Robert O Barker  3 , Barbara Hanratty  3
Affiliations

NEWS2 and the older person

Emma Rlc Vardy et al. Clin Med (Lond). 2022 Nov.

Abstract

The National Early Warning Score (NEWS), published in 2012, made no specific adjustments for older people. The updated NEWS2 (2017) incorporated new confusion as a category for consciousness. In this article, we consider the role of NEWS2 in detection of acute clinical deterioration in older people and how the score may be used to inform care, highlighting the additional aspects, such as care escalation decisions, that may ensue. We consider the evidence of NEWS and NEWS2 in assessment of the older person in different settings, including the potential benefits and limitations for care home residents. We suggest that NEWS2 may need adaptation for older people in future iterations, and that it should be used in conjunction with other clinical assessments, such as the Clinical Frailty Scale and the four 'A's test (4AT) for delirium.

Keywords: NEWS2; age; delirium; deterioration; older people.

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References

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