What patient disease mortality scale is most often used in the Emergency Department (ED)?

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Last updated: February 14, 2025 • View editorial policy

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From the Research

Patient Disease Mortality Scales

The most commonly used patient disease mortality scales in the Emergency Department (ED) are:

  • National Early Warning Score (NEWS)
  • Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score
  • Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS)

Comparison of Mortality Scales

Studies have compared the accuracy of these scales in predicting mortality and ICU admission in ED patients. Key findings include:

  • NEWS was found to be the most accurate predictor of mortality and ICU admission in the general ED population 1, 2
  • MEDS score was found to be accurate in predicting mortality in patients with suspected sepsis 3, 4
  • MEWS was found to be useful in predicting ICU admission in patients with infection or sepsis 1

Performance of Mortality Scales

The performance of these scales has been evaluated in various studies, with results including:

  • NEWS: area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.904 for predicting death/ICU admission within 24 hours 2
  • MEDS score: AUROC of 0.87 for predicting 30-day in-hospital mortality 3
  • MEWS: favourable results in the ED and AMU for all endpoints, but less accurate than NEWS in some studies 1

References

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