Significance of nitrosative stress and glycoxidation products in the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Nitrosative stress promotes protein glycoxidation, and both processes can occur during an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess selected nitrosative stress parameters and protein glycoxidation products in COVID-19 patients and convalescents relative to healthy subjects, including in reference to the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. The diagnostic utility of nitrosative stress and protein glycoxidation biomarkers was also evaluated in COVID-19 patients. The study involved 218 patients with COVID-19, 69 convalescents, and 48 healthy subjects. Nitrosative stress parameters (NO, S-nitrosothiols, nitrotyrosine) and protein glycoxidation products (tryptophan, kynurenine, N-formylkynurenine, dityrosine, AGEs) were measured in the blood plasma or serum with the use of colorimetric/fluorometric methods. The levels of NO (p = 0.0480), S-nitrosothiols (p = 0.0004), nitrotyrosine (p = 0.0175), kynurenine (p < 0.0001), N-formylkynurenine (p < 0.0001), dityrosine (p < 0.0001), and AGEs (p < 0.0001) were significantly higher, whereas tryptophan fluorescence was significantly (p < 0.0001) lower in COVID-19 patients than in the control group. Significant differences in the analyzed parameters were observed in different stages of COVID-19. In turn, the concentrations of kynurenine (p < 0.0001), N-formylkynurenine (p < 0.0001), dityrosine (p < 0.0001), and AGEs (p < 0.0001) were significantly higher, whereas tryptophan levels were significantly (p < 0.0001) lower in convalescents than in healthy controls. The ROC analysis revealed that protein glycoxidation products can be useful for diagnosing infections with the SARS-CoV-2 virus because they differentiate COVID-19 patients (KN: sensitivity-91.20%, specificity-92.00%; NFK: sensitivity-92.37%, specificity-92.00%; AGEs: sensitivity-99,02%, specificity-100%) and convalescents (KN: sensitivity-82.22%, specificity-84.00%; NFK: sensitivity-82,86%, specificity-86,00%; DT: sensitivity-100%, specificity-100%; AGE: sensitivity-100%, specificity-100%) from healthy subjects with high sensitivity and specificity. Nitrosative stress and protein glycoxidation are intensified both during and after an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The levels of redox biomarkers fluctuate in different stages of the disease. Circulating biomarkers of nitrosative stress/protein glycoxidation have potential diagnostic utility in both COVID-19 patients and convalescents.

Effectiveness of S100 calcium-binding protein A12 combined with modified early warning score in the clinical diagnosis of adult community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Recent studies have found that S100 serum calcium-binding protein A12 (S100A12) has important significance in the expression of acute infectious diseases, and has high clinical application value in the differential diagnosis, prognosis and other aspects of acute infectious diseases. The accuracy of modified early warning score (MEWS) in evaluating the disease risk level of critically ill patients is comparable to Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II). Methods: Based on MEWS, 108 adult community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients were divided into the low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups. The differences in invasive mechanical ventilation rate and mortality rate among each group were compared, and the differences of S100A12 in different levels of MEWS scores were compared through one-way analysis of variance. According to the prognosis after 30 days, the patients were divided into the death group and the survival group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to study the influencing and independent factors of 30-day death in CAP patients. The sensitivity and specificity of S100A12, procalcitonin (PCT), and MEWS scores in predicting the 30-day death in CAP patients were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, as well as the area under each indicator curve. Results: The serum S100A12 concentration increased with the increase in the MEWS stratification, and the mechanical ventilation and mortality rates also increased significantly. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore the factors influencing mortality in adult CAP patients after 30 days. The receiver-operating characteristics curve was used to analyze the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curves of serum S100A12, PCT, and MEWS in predicting mortality in CAP patients after 30 days. Conclusions: The serum S100A12, PCT, and MEWS can effectively predict the mortality risk in adult CAP patients after 30 days. Serum S100A12 combined with MEWS has a high clinical application value in evaluating the severity and prognosis of adult CAP.

Utility of ED triage tools in predicting the need for intensive respiratory or vasopressor support in adult patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Serum and radiological parameters used to predict prognosis in COVID patients are not feasible in the Emergency Department. Due to its damaging effect on multiple organs and lungs, scores used to assess multiorgan damage and pneumonia such as Pandemic Medical Early Warning Score (PMEWS), National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2), WHO score, quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and DS-CRB 65 can be used to triage patients in the Emergency Department. They can be used to predict patients with the highest risk of seven-day mortality and need for intensive respiratory or vasopressor support (IRVS). PURPOSE: The primary purpose was to find the score with the highest AUC in predicting IRVS and mortality at seven days. Additional objective was to find out any independent factors associated with IRVS and mortality. METHODS: The data of adult patients who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) between April 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021 were collected. The WHO score, CRB-65, DS-CRB 65, PMEWS, NEWS2, and qSOFA score were calculated for all patients. Statistical analysis was done and an ROC curve was calculated for all the tools for mortality and need for IRVS at seven days. FINDINGS: 677 patients presented to the Emergency Department with COVID-19 during the period above. Presence of Diabetes Mellitus (p = 0.001), Hypertension (p = 0.001), and chronic kidney disease(CKD) (p = 0.04) was significantly associated with need for IRVS. Age, duration of symptoms, pulse rate, respiratory rate, room air saturation, mental status at admission, and time to IRVS need were identified as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. The longer the time to IRVS need from ED arrival, the higher the likelihood of mortality. PMEWS (0.830) had the highest AUC, followed by NEWS2 (0.805). A PMEWS cut-off of 6.5 was 74.2% sensitive and 78.3% specific in predicting the need for IRVS. ROC analysis to predict 7-day mortality showed that PMEWS had an AUC of 0.802 (0.766-0.839). QSOFA performed poorly in predicting IRVS (AUC 0.645) and 7-day mortality (AUC 0.677). CONCLUSION: PMEWS may be used for triaging patients presenting to the Emergency Department with COVID-19 and accurately predicts the need for IRVS and seven day mortality.

Prognostic accuracy of SOFA, MEWS, and SIRS criteria in predicting the mortality rate of patients with sepsis: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, some studies classified patients with sepsis and predicted their mortality by using some evaluation scales. Several studies reported significant differences in the predictive values of several tools, and the non-uniformity of the cut-off value. OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the prognostic accuracy of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria in predicting the mortality of patients with sepsis. METHODS: This study comprised of systematic literature review and meta-analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases from their establishment to July 31, 2022. The research articles published in the index journals provide sufficient data (true positive, false positive, true negative, and false negative results) for patients with sepsis. The combined sensitivity and specificity of the 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the bivariate random effect model (BRM). The hierarchical overall subject working characteristics (HSROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the accuracy of the overall prognosis. RESULTS: Data of 55 088 patients from 32 studies were included in this meta-analysis. SOFA had an intermediate sensitivity of 0.73 (95% CI: 0.67-0.78) and a specificity of 0.70 (0.63-0.76). SIRS criteria had the highest sensitivity of 0.75 (0.66-0.82) and the lowest specificity of 0.40 (0.29-0.52). MEWS had the lowest sensitivity of 0.49 (0.40-0.59) and the highest specificity of 0.82 (0.78-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: Among SOFA, MEWS, and SIRS criteria, SOFA showed moderate sensitivity and specificity for predicting mortality in patients with sepsis, the highest sensitivity of SIRS and the strongest specificity of MEWS for predicting mortality in patients with sepsis. The future research direction is to combine the relevant indicators of MEWS and SIRS to develop a measurement tool with high reliability and validity. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The review provides useful insights into the prognostic accuracy of different assessment tools in predicting mortality in sepsis patients, which will help clinicians choose the most appropriate tool for early identification and treatment of sepsis. The findings may also contribute to the development of more accurate and reliable prognostic models for sepsis.

Unveiling COVID-19 Secrets: Harnessing Cytokines as Powerful Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Predicting Severity.

Introduction: In coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inflammation takes center stage, with a cascade of cytokines released, contributing to both inflammation and lung damage. The objective of this study is to identify biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting the severity of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Cytokine levels were determined in the serum from venous blood samples collected from 100 patients with COVID-19 and 50 healthy controls. COVID-19 patients classified based on the Modified Early Warning (MEWS) score. Cytokine concentrations were determined with a multiplex ELISA kit (Bio-Plex Pro™ Human Cytokine Screening Panel). Results: The concentrations of all analyzed cytokines were elevated in the serum of COVID-19 patients relative to the control group, but no significant differences were observed in interleukin-9 (IL-9) and IL-12 p70 levels. In addition, the concentrations of IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-1ra, IL-2Rα, IL-6, IL-12 p40, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) were significantly higher in symptomatic patients with accompanying pneumonia without respiratory failure (stage 2) than in asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic patients (stage 1). Conclusion: The study revealed that IL-1ra, IL-2Rα, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12 p40, IL-16, and IL-18 levels serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, elevated IL-1α levels proved to be valuable in assessing the severity of COVID-19.

COVID-19: Asociación entre la clasificación de riesgo y el Modified Early Warning Score y los resultados hospitalarios / COVID-19: Association of risk classification with the Modified Early Warning Score and hospital outcomes / COVID-19: Associação da classificação de risco com o Modified Early Warning Score e os desfechos hospitalares

Objetivo: evaluar la asociación entre las categorías de clasificación de riesgo y el Modified Early Warning Score y los resultados de los pacientes con COVID-19 en el servicio de emergencia Método: estudio transversal, realizado con 372 pacientes hospitalizados con diagnóstico de COVID-19 atendidos en la Recepción con Clasificación de Riesgo en Urgencias. En este estudio, el Modified Early Warning Score de los pacientes se clasificó como sin y con deterioro clínico, de 0 a 4 y de 5 a 9, respectivamente. Se consideró que había deterioro clínico cuando presentaban insuficiencia respiratoria aguda, shock y paro cardiorrespiratorio. Resultados: el Modified Early Warning Score promedio fue de 3,34. En cuanto al deterioro clínico de los pacientes, se observó que en el 43% de los casos el tiempo de deterioro fue menor a 24 horas y que el 65,9% ocurrió en urgencias. El deterioro más frecuente fue la insuficiencia respiratoria aguda (69,9%) y el resultado fue alta hospitalaria (70,3%). Conclusión: los pacientes con COVID-19 que presentaban Modified Early Warning Score 4 se asociaron a las categorías de clasificación de riesgo urgente, muy urgente y emergente y tuvieron más deterioro clínico, como insuficiencia respiratoria y shock, y murieron, lo que demuestra que el Protocolo de Clasificación de Riesgo priorizó correctamente a los pacientes con riesgo vital.

Objective: to evaluate the association of the risk classification categories with the Modified Early Warning Score and the outcomes of COVID-19 patients in the emergency service Method: a crosssectional study carried out with 372 patients hospitalized with a COVID-19 diagnosis and treated at the Risk Classification Welcoming area from the Emergency Room. In this study, the patients' Modified Early Warning Score was categorized into without and with clinical deterioration, from 0 to 4 and from 5 to 9, respectively. Clinical deterioration was considered to be acute respiratory failure, shock and cardiopulmonary arrest Results: the mean Modified Early Warning Score was 3.34. In relation to the patients' clinical deterioration, it was observed that, in 43%, the time for deterioration was less than 24 hours and that 65.9% occurred in the Emergency Room. The most frequent deterioration was acute respiratory failure (69.9%) and the outcome was hospital discharge (70.3%). Conclusion: COVID-19 patients who had a Modified Early Warning Scores > 4 were associated with the urgent, very urgent and emergency risk classification categories, had more clinical deterioration, such as respiratory failure and shock, and evolved more to death, which shows that the Risk Classification Protocol correctly prioritized patients at risk of life.

Objetivo: avaliar a associação das categorias de classificação de risco com o Modified Early Warning Score e os desfechos dos pacientes com COVID-19 no serviço de emergência Método: estudo transversal, realizado com 372 pacientes internados com diagnóstico de COVID-19 atendidos no Acolhimento com Classificação de Risco no Pronto-Atendimento. Neste estudo, o Modified Early Warning Score dos pacientes foi categorizado em sem e com deterioração clínica, de 0 a 4 e de 5 a 9, respectivamente. Foram consideradas deteriorações clínicas a insuficiência respiratória aguda, choque e parada cardiorrespiratória. Resultados: o Modified Early Warning Score médio foi de 3,34. Em relação à deterioração clínica dos pacientes, observou-se que em 43% o tempo para deterioração foi menor de 24 horas e que 65,9% delas ocorreu no pronto-socorro. A deterioração mais frequente foi a insuficiência respiratória aguda (69,9%) e o desfecho foi o de alta hospitalar (70,3%). Conclusão: pacientes com COVID-19 que tiveram Modified Early Warning Score 4 foram associados às categorias da classificação de risco urgente, muito urgente e emergente e tiveram mais deterioração clínica, como a insuficiência respiratória e o choque, e evoluíram mais a óbito, o que demonstra que o Protocolo de Classificação de Risco priorizou corretamente os pacientes com risco de vida.

Space-time modelling of monthly malaria incidence for seasonal associated drivers and early epidemic detection in Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Although Ethiopia has made great strides in recent years to reduce the threat of malaria, the disease remains a significant issue in most districts of the country. It constantly disappears in parts of the areas before reappearing in others with erratic transmission rates. Thus, developing a malaria epidemic early warning system is important to support the prevention and control of the incidence. METHODS: Space-time malaria risk mapping is essential to monitor and evaluate priority zones, refocus intervention, and enable planning for future health targets. From August 2013 to May 2019, the researcher considered an aggregated count of genus Plasmodium falciparum from 149 districts in Southern Ethiopia. Afterwards, a malaria epidemic early warning system was developed using model-based geostatistics, which helped to chart the disease's spread and future management. RESULTS: Risk factors like precipitation, temperature, humidity, and nighttime light are significantly associated with malaria with different rates across the districts. Districts in the southwest, including Selamago, Bero, and Hamer, had higher rates of malaria risk, whereas in the south and centre like Arbaminch and Hawassa had moderate rates. The distribution is inconsistent and varies across time and space with the seasons. CONCLUSION: Despite the importance of spatial correlation in disease risk mapping, it may occasionally be a good idea to generate epidemic early warning independently in each district to get a quick picture of disease risk. A system like this is essential for spotting numerous inconsistencies in lower administrative levels early enough to take corrective action before outbreaks arise.

Evaluation of an adjusted MEWS (Modified Early Warning Score) for COVID-19 patients to identify risk of ICU admission or death in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

BACKGROUND: While most COVID-19 cases have uncomplicated infection, a small proportion has the potential to develop life-threatening disease, as such development of a prediction tool using patients baseline characteristics at the time of diagnosis should aid in early identification of high-risk groups and devise pertinent management. Hence, we set up this retrospective study to determine preadmission triaging tool to predict the development of severe COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Bahrain MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted from 1 September 2020 to 30 November 2020 with enrolment of all SARS-CoV-2 PCR-confirmed persons aged ≥ 14 years who attended Al-Shamil Field Hospital (SFH) in the Kingdom of Bahrain for triaging and assessment with recording of the following parameters: systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, the alert, verbal, pain, unresponsive neurological score, age, oxygen saturation, comorbidities, Body Mass Index (BMI), duration of symptoms and living with immunocompromised populations to develop our local adjusted MEWS as predictor for ICU admission & for consideration of suitable isolation at home. Follow up data of all patients was obtained from the electronic medical records system including CXR findings, treatments/medications received, need of oxygen supplements /intubation, needs of ICU care, and the outcome (death /discharged alive) IBM SPSS statistic version 21 program was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Our study showed that using the locally developed adjusted MEWS score, there was an significant association between high value of this adjusted MEWS score and abnormal radiographic finding (49.7 % Vs. 17 % for patients with high score Vs. those with low score respectively). Out of the 181 patients with high scores on adjusted MEWS; 38.7 % required oxygen via nasal cannula, 14.4 % required face mask and 8.3 % non-rebreather mask; this proportion was significantly higher than their counterpart patients who score low on adjusted MEWS (20.9 %, 7.7 %, 4.8 %respectively) with statistically significance difference between the two groups (p value of 0.00, 0.00,.004 respectively) Requirement of ICU admission was significantly higher among patients with high score in comparison to those with low score (14.4 % vs. 3 %) with significant p value (0.00) But higher score value was not associated significantly with increase mortality rate among COVID patients. CONCLUSION: Development of our new Adjusted MEWS score system by adding the additional elements of age, oxygen saturation, comorbidities, Body Mass Index (BMI) and duration of symptoms found to be very useful predictor tool for preadmission triaging of COVID patients based on their risk assessment to help clinician to decide on the appropriate placement to different level of isolation facilities.

The predictive value of the modified early warning score for admission to the intensive care unit in patients with a hematologic malignancy - A multicenter observational study.

OBJECTIVES: The modified early warning score (MEWS) is used to detect clinical deterioration of hospitalized patients. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of MEWS and derived quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) scores for intensive care unit admission in patients with a hematologic malignancy admitted to the ward. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study in two Dutch university hospitals. SETTING: Data from adult patients with a hematologic malignancy, admitted to the ward over a 2-year period, were extracted from electronic patient files. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intensive care admission. RESULTS: We included 395 patients with 736 hospital admissions; 2% (n = 15) of admissions resulted in admission to the intensive care unit. A higher MEWS (OR 1.5; 95 %CI 1.3-1.80) and qSOFA (OR 4.4; 95 %CI 2.1-9.3) were associated with admission. Using restricted cubic splines, a rise in the probability of admission for a MEWS ≥ 6 was observed. The AUC of MEWS for predicting admission was 0.830, the AUC of qSOFA was 0.752. MEWS was indicative for intensive care unit admission two days before admission. CONCLUSIONS: MEWS was a sensitive predictor of ICU admission in patients with a hematologic malignancy, superior to qSOFA. Future studies should confirm cut-off values and identify potential additional characteristics, to further enhance identification of critically ill hemato-oncology patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: The Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) can be used as a tool for healthcare providers to monitor clinical deterioration and predict the need for intensive care unit admission in patients with a hematologic malignancy. Yet, consistent application and potential reevaluation of current thresholds is crucial. This will enable bedside nurses to more effectively identify patients needing adjunctive care, facilitating timely interventions and improved outcome.

Spanish and cross-cultural validation of the mind excessively wandering scale.

Introduction: Over the last decade, excessive spontaneous mind wandering (MW) has been consistently associated with emotional disorders. The main aims of the present study were (1) to re-examine the factor structure of the Mind Excessively Wandering Scale (MEWS); (2) to validate the Spanish version of the MEWS; and (3) to conduct a cross-cultural validation of the MEWS in Spanish and UK samples. Methods: A forward/backward translation to Spanish was conducted. Data of 391 Spanish and 713 British non-clinical individuals were analysed. Results: A revised 10-item version of the MEWS (MEWS-v2.0) demonstrated to be a valid instrument to assess MW. A 2-correlated factor structure properly captured the MEWS-v2.0 variance, accounting for two specific but interrelated dimensions (Uncontrolled thoughts and Mental Overactivity). Discussion: The Spanish MEWS-v2.0 showed adequate internal consistency and construct validity, as well as appropriate convergent/divergent validity. Cross-cultural analyses showed that MEWS-v2.0 captured the same construct in both UK and Spanish samples. In conclusion, both Spanish and English MEWS-v2.0 demonstrated to be reliable measures to capture spontaneous MW phenomenon in non-clinical adult populations.

Predicting ICU admission and death in the Emergency Department: A comparison of six early warning scores.

AIM: To compare the ability of the most used Early Warning Scores (EWS) to identify adult patients at risk of poor outcomes in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: Single-center, retrospective observational study. We evaluated the digital records of consecutive ED admissions in patients ≥ 18 years from 2010 to 2019 and calculated NEWS, NEWS2, MEWS, RAPS, REMS, and SEWS based on parameters measured on ED arrival. We assessed the discrimination and calibration performance of each EWS in predicting death/ICU admission within 24 hours using ROC analysis and visual calibration. We also measured the relative weight of clinical and physiological derangements that identified patients missed by EWS risk stratification using neural network analysis. RESULTS: Among 225,369 patients assessed in the ED during the study period, 1941 (0.9%) were admitted to ICU or died within 24 hours. NEWS was the most accurate predictor (area under the receiver operating characteristic [AUROC] curve 0.904 [95% CI 0.805-0.913]), followed by NEWS2 (AUROC 0.901). NEWS was also well calibrated. In patients judged at low risk (NEWS < 2), 359 events occurred (18.5% of the total). Neural network analysis revealed that age, systolic BP, and temperature had the highest relative weight for these NEWS-unpredicted events. CONCLUSIONS: NEWS is the most accurate EWS for predicting the risk of death/ICU admission within 24 h from ED arrival. The score also had a fair calibration with few events occurring in patients classified at low risk. Neural network analysis suggests the need for further improvements by focusing on the prompt diagnosis of sepsis and the development of practical tools for the measurement of the respiratory rate.

Clinical Study of a New Modified Early Warning Scoring System for Rapidly Evaluating Shock in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Shock is one of the most common severe syndromes requiring emergency treatment. Acute myocardial infarction guidelines, the surviving sepsis campaign, and low blood volume resuscitation guidelines indicate the prioritization of early identification of shock. APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II), SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment), and MEWS (Modified Early Warning System) scores are used to predict mortality in ICU (intensive care unit) patients. However, similar to APACHE II, SOFA cannot be used for rapid assessment. Hence the need for a new scoring system that is simple, faster, and efficacious in predicting and preventing mortality among shock patients. The present study was conducted to evaluate a new MEWS scoring system for early identification and estimate mortality risk in patients with shock. METHODS: A total of 170 patients with shock meeting the inclusion criteria who presented to the ICU of Ramaiah Hospitals from November 2019 to August 2021 were included in the study. Baseline variables, laboratory parameters, APACHE II score, SOFA score, MEWS score, and new MEWS score were compared between the two groups. Patients were followed up till mortality or discharge from ICU. RESULTS: Among the 170 patients included in the study septic shock (69.4%) was the most common type of shock followed by cardiogenic (7.64%) and hypovolemic shock (7.64%). The requirement of inotropic support and mechanical ventilation was associated with significantly higher mortality (55.6% and 52.6% respectively). The AUROC (area under the curve) for SOFA in predicting mortality was 0.738 (p<0.001). The AUROC for APACHE II score in predicting mortality was 0.758 (p<0.001). The AUROC for MEWS score in predicting mortality was 0.655 (p=0.0002). The AUROC for the new MEWS score in predicting mortality was 0.684 which is more than that of the conventional MEWS score (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: New MEWS score is better than the MEWS score in predicting mortality. The new MEWS score is a simple, entirely clinical, inexpensive scoring system that can be done within a short time as a patient contact in an emergency. Hence, the new MEWS score can help in the quick identification of patients who are at high risk for developing shock and can be used as a better predictor of mortality.

The Diagnostic Value of Inflammatory Markers (CRP, IL6, CRP/IL6, CRP/L, LCR) for Assessing the Severity of COVID-19 Symptoms Based on the MEWS and Predicting the Risk of Mortality.

Introduction: Various diagnostic tools are used to assess the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and the risk of mortality, including laboratory tests and scoring indices such as the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS). The diagnostic value of inflammatory markers for assessing patients with different severity of COVID-19 symptoms according to the MEWS was evaluated in this study. Materials and Methods: The concentrations of CRP (C-reactive protein) (immunoassay) and IL6 (interleukin 6) (electrochemiluminescence assay) were determined, and CRP/IL6, CRP/L, and LCR ratios were calculated in blood serum samples collected from 374 COVID-19 patients. Results: We demonstrated that CRP, IL6, CRP/IL6, CRP/L, LCR inflammatory markers increase significantly with disease progression assessed based on the MEWS in COVID-19 patients and may be used to differentiating patients with severe and non-severe COVID-19 and to assess the mortality. Conclusion: The diagnostic value of inflammatory markers for assessing the risk of mortality and differentiating between patients with mild and severe COVID-19 was confirmed.

A new index, Respiratory Insufficiency index and Modified Early Warning Scores predict extubation failure.

Background: Extubation failure occurs in 5%-20% of patients and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. The primary aim of this project was to determine the predictive ability of the Respiratory Insufficiency (RI) index, Respiratory Oxygenation (ROX) index and Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) in identifying extubation failure. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a prior cross-sectional retrospective study conducted from February 2018 through December 2018 among adult subjects who received mechanical ventilation for more than 24 h. Extubation failure was defined as the need for reintubation or rescue non-invasive ventilation (NIV) within 48 h after planned extubation. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were used to identify the predictors and final model was validated using 10-fold cross validation. Nomogram was constructed based on the final model. Results: Of 216 enrolled subjects, 46 (21.3%) experienced extubation failure. The median RI index 1-h post extubation was 20 [interquartile range [IQR] 16.33-24.24] for success group and 27.02 [IQR 22.42-33.83] for the failure group (P<0.001). The median ROX index 1-h post extubation was 16.66 [IQR 12.57-19.84] for success group and 11.11 [IQR 8.09-14.67] for failure group (P<0.001). The median MEWS 1-h post extubation was 2 [IQR 1-3] for the success group and 4 [IQR 3-5] for the failure group (P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, age >60 years [OR 3.89 (95% CI 1.56-9.73); P=0.004], MEWS >4 [OR 4.01 (95% CI (1.59-10.14); P=0.003] and, RI index >20 [OR 4.50 (95% CI 1.43-14.21); P=0.010] were independently associated with extubation failure. Conclusion: In the present study, RI index and MEWS were independently associated with predicting extubation failure within 1 h of extubation. A prospective validation study is warranted to establish the role of these indices in predicting extubation outcome.

Is Modified Early Warning Score associated with clinical outcomes of patients admitted to a university internal medicine ward?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the MEWS association with the clinical outcomes (CO) of patients admitted to an internal medicine ward (IMW) at a Brazilian university hospital (UH). INTRODUCTION: It is important to quickly identify patients with clinical deterioration, especially in wards. The health team must recognize and act before the situation becomes an adverse event. In Brazil, nurses' work to overcome performance myths and the application of standardized predictive scales for patients in wards is still limited. DESIGN: An observational cohort study designed and developed by a registered nurse that followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. METHODS: Data were collected from the IMW of a UH located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil (2017). An ROC curve was calculated to strengthen the use of a MEWS of < or ≥ 4 as a cutoff. CO of the two subgroups were compared. RESULTS: Three hundred patients completed the study; their vital signs were recorded consecutively throughout hospitalization in the IMW. The highest MEWS value each day was considered for analysis. Scores < 4 were significantly associated with a higher probability of hospital discharge, a lower chance of transfer to the ICU, a lower total number of days of hospitalization, and a lower risk of death. Score ≥ 4 had worse CO (orotracheal intubation and cardiac monitoring), transfer to the ICU, and increased risk of death. CONCLUSION: Scores < 4 were associated with positive outcomes, while scores ≥ 4 were associated with negative outcomes. MEWS can help prioritize interventions, increase certainty in decision-making, and improve patient safety, especially in a teaching IMW with medical teams undergoing professional development, thereby ensuring the central role of the nursing team in Brazil. RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: MEWS aid nurses in identifying and managing patients, prioritizing interventions through assertive decision-making.

A novel scoring system combining Modified Early Warning Score with biomarkers of monocyte distribution width, white blood cell counts, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio to improve early sepsis prediction in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate whether combining scoring systems with monocyte distribution width (MDW) improves early sepsis detection in older adults in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: In this prospective observational study, we enrolled older adults aged ≥60 years who presented with confirmed infectious diseases to the ED. Three scoring systems-namely quick sepsis-related organ failure assessment (qSOFA), Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), and National Early Warning Score (NEWS), and biomarkers including MDW, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP), were assessed in the ED. Logistic regression models were used to construct sepsis prediction models. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, we included 522 and 2088 patients with and without sepsis in our analysis from January 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. NEWS ≥5 and MEWS ≥3 exhibited a moderate-to-high sensitivity and a low specificity for sepsis, whereas qSOFA score ≥2 demonstrated a low sensitivity and a high specificity. When combined with biomarkers, the NEWS-based, the MEWS-based, and the qSOFA-based models exhibited improved diagnostic accuracy for sepsis detection without CRP inclusion (c-statistics=0.842, 0.842, and 0.826, respectively). Of the three models, MEWS ≥3 with white blood cell (WBC) count ≥11 × 109/L, NLR ≥8, and MDW ≥20 demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy in all age subgroups (c-statistics=0.886, 0.825, and 0.822 in patients aged 60-74, 75-89, and 90-109 years, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our novel scoring system combining MEWS with WBC, NLR, and MDW effectively detected sepsis in older adults.

Changes in chemokine and growth factor levels may be useful biomarkers for monitoring disease severity in COVID-19 patients; a pilot study.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess differences in the serum levels of chemokines and growth factors (GFs) between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. The diagnostic utility of the analyzed proteins for monitoring the severity of the SARS-CoV- 2 infection based on the patients' MEWS scores was also assessed. Materials and methods: The serum levels of chemokines and growth factors were analyzed in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (50 women, 50 men) with the use of the Bio-Plex Pro™ Human Cytokine Screening Panel (Biorad) and the Bio-Plex Multiplex system. Results: The study demonstrated that serum levels of MIP-1α, RANTES, Eotaxin, CTACK, GRO-α, IP-10, MIG, basic-FGF, HGF, SCGF-ß, G-CSF, M-CSF, SCF, MIF, LIF, and TRAIL were significant higher in COVID-19 patients than in the control group. The concentrations of CTACK, GRO-α, IP-10, MIG, basic-FGF, HGF, PDGF- BB, GM-CSF, SCF, LIF, and TRAIL were higher in asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients (stage 1) and COVID-19 patients with pneumonia without respiratory failure (stage 2). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that IP-10, MIF, MIG, and basic-FGF differentiated patients with COVID-19 from healthy controls with the highest sensitivity and specificity, whereas GM-CSF, basic-FGF, and MIG differentiated asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients (stage 1) from COVID-19 patients with pneumonia without respiratory failure (stage 2) with the highest sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions: MIG, basic-FGF, and GM-CSF can be useful biomarkers for monitoring disease severity in patients with COVID-19.

A Retrospective Cohort Study Evaluating the Use of the Modified Early Warning Score to Improve Outcome Prediction in Neurosurgical Patients.

Introduction The modified early warning score (mEWS) has been used to identify decompensating patients in critical care settings, potentially leading to better outcomes and safer, more cost-effective patient care. We examined whether the admission or maximum mEWS of neurosurgical patients was associated with outcomes and total patient costs across neurosurgical procedures. Methods This retrospective cohort study included all patients hospitalized at a quaternary care hospital for neurosurgery procedures during 2019. mEWS were automatically generated during a patient's hospitalization from data available in the electronic medical record. Primary and secondary outcome measures were the first mEWS at admission, maximum mEWS during hospitalization, length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, mortality, cost of hospitalization, and patient biomarkers (i.e., white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin). Results In 1,408 patients evaluated, a mean first mEWS of 0.5 ± 0.9 (median: 0) and maximum mEWS of 2.6 ± 1.4 (median: 2) were observed. The maximum mEWS was achieved on average one day (median = 0 days) after admission and correlated with other biomarkers (p < 0.0001). Scores correlated with continuous outcomes (i.e., LOS and cost) distinctly based on disease types. Multivariate analysis showed that the maximum mEWS was associated with longer stay (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.6-1.96, p = 0.0001), worse disposition (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.71-0.95, p = 0.0001), higher mortality (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.3-2.1, p = 0.0001), and greater cost (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.1-1.3, p = 0.001). Machine learning algorithms suggested that logistic regression, naïve Bayes, and neural networks were most predictive of outcomes. Conclusion mEWS was associated with outcomes in neurosurgical patients and may be clinically useful. The composite score could be integrated with other clinical factors and was associated with LOS, discharge disposition, mortality, and patient cost. mEWS also could be used early during a patient's admission to stratify risk. Increase in mEWS scores correlated with the outcome to a different degree in distinct patient/disease types. These results show the potential of the mEWS to predict outcomes in neurosurgical patients and suggest that it could be incorporated into clinical decision-making and/or monitoring of neurosurgical patients during admission. However, further studies and refinement of mEWS are needed to better integrate it into patient care.

Prevalence and clinical significance of point of care elevated lactate at emergency admission in older patients: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients who are over 65 years old represent up to 24% of emergency department (ED) admissions. They are at increased risk of under-triage due to impaired physiological responses. The primary objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of elevated lactate by point of care testing (POCT) in this population. The secondary objective was to assess the additional value of lactate level in predicting an early poor outcome, as compared to and combined with common clinical scores and triage scales. METHODS: This monocentric prospective study recruited ED patients who were over 65 years old between July 19th 2019 and June 17th 2020. Patients consulting for seizures or needing immediate assessment were excluded. POCT lactates were considered elevated if ≥ 2.5 mmol/L. A poor outcome was defined based on certain complications or therapeutic decisions. RESULTS: In total, 602 patients were included; 163 (27.1%) had elevated lactate and 44 (7.3%) had a poor outcome. There was no association between poor outcome and lactate level. Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) was significantly associated with poor outcome, alongside National Early Warning Score (NEWS). Logistic regression also associated lactate level combined with MEWS and poor outcome. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of elevated lactate was 27.1%. Lactate level alone or combined with different triage scales or clinical scores such as MEWS, NEWS and qSOFA was not associated with prediction of a poor outcome. MEWS alone performed best in predicting poor outcome. The usefulness of POCT lactate measurement at triage is questionable in the population of 65 and above.