Cross-cultural adaptation of National Early Warning Score 2 to Angolan Portuguese.

Objective: To make a cross-cultural adaptation of the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS 2) from English to Angolan Portuguese. Methods: A methodological research of cross-cultural adaptation was conducted, involving sequential stages of forward translation, translation synthesis, back-translation, and the application of the Delphi Panel methodology for analyzing semantic, idiomatic, experiential, and conceptual equivalence between the translated and the original versions. This process culminated in the development of a pre-final version, which subsequently underwent testing in a cohort of nurses (n = 37). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was calculated to assess inter-rater reliability of ratings. Cronbach's alpha was used for evaluating the internal consistency and reliability within the items of the NEWS 2 score. Results: The cross-cultural adaptation process allowed us to prepare the final version of this tool. The data collected during the testing phase facilitated the examination of inter-rater reliability of ratings and the internal consistency and reliability within the items of the NEWS2 score. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient observed at this step was 0.992. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.993. Conclusion: The cross-cultural adaptation of the NEWS 2 scoring system to Angolan Portuguese was successful, providing healthcare professionals in Angola with the means to effectively use the tool.

Adequacy of Severe Malaria Markers and Prognostic Scores in an Intensive Care Unit in Luanda, Angola: A Clinical Study.

Severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains the primary cause of mortality in several African countries, including Angola, where severe malaria patient admission into intensive care units (ICU) is mandatory. The present observational and prospective study enrolled 101 consecutive severe malaria patients admitted at the ICU of Américo Boavida University Hospital (Luanda, Angola). Malaria was confirmed by microscopy and RDT, and WHO criteria were used to define severe malaria. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was used to monitor organ dysfunctions. Surviving and nonsurviving patients were compared using bivariate statistical methods. Two-step cluster analysis was used to find discriminant organ dysfunctions that may correlate better with the observed mortality (16.8%), which was much lower than the one generated by the SOFA score. The study population was young, and 87% of the patients were local native residents. There was no statistically significant correlation between the parasitemia and the outcome. Hematological and cerebral dysfunctions were prevalent but were not discriminant when cluster analyses were performed to detect homogeneous subgroups of patients. In conclusion, the SOFA score was readily applicable and efficient in monitoring daily organ dysfunction but was not effective enough in predicting the outcome of severe malaria patients.