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Patient Assessment & NEWS2 Flashcards

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  1. What does NEWS2 stand for?

    Answer: National Early Warning Score 2

    NEWS2 stands for National Early Warning Score 2. It is a standardised system developed by the Royal College of Physicians to detect clinical deterioration in acutely ill adults, using six physiological parameters.

  2. Which six physiological parameters are included in the NEWS2 scoring system?

    Answer: Temperature, pulse, BP, respiratory rate, SpO2, consciousness level

    NEWS2 uses six parameters: respiratory rate, SpO2, systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, level of consciousness (ACVPU), and temperature. Each is scored 0–3 and the total determines the clinical response required.

  3. A patient scores a total NEWS2 of 7. What is the recommended response?

    Answer: Urgent review by clinician with ward-based competencies — consider transfer to higher care

    A NEWS2 score of 7 or above triggers a score of High (Red), requiring an urgent or emergency assessment by a clinical team with critical care competencies. This should prompt immediate review and likely transfer to a higher level of care setting.

  4. In NEWS2, what ACVPU score is assigned to a patient who is confused but responds to voice?

    Answer: C

    In NEWS2, ACVPU stands for Alert, Confusion, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive. A patient who is confused (new confusion or disorientation) is coded as 'C' (Confusion), which scores 3 — the same score as V, P, or U in the consciousness component.

  5. A patient has a known diagnosis of COPD with a target SpO2 of 88–92%. How should their SpO2 be scored in NEWS2?

    Answer: Using Scale 2 (designed for patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure)

    NEWS2 introduced Scale 2 specifically for patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure (e.g., COPD) who have a prescribed SpO2 target of 88–92%. This prevents inappropriate high scores when SpO2 is within the patient's therapeutic range.

  6. What NEWS2 total score triggers an emergency response (i.e., blue light response including resuscitation team)?

    Answer: Score of 7 or more, or a score of 3 in any single parameter

    An emergency response is triggered by a NEWS2 total of 7 or more, or a score of 3 in any single parameter (e.g., respiratory rate >24, SpO2 <91, confusion, temperature <35°C). Either finding alone warrants an immediate emergency response.