This study, carried out at a children's specialist hospital in the UK looked at how PEWS are recorded, in particular looking at the completeness and accuracy of the recordings. Data was extracted for the 48 hour period before a critical deterioration event. 297 case events were analysed. Findings showed only 35.9% of observation sets contained a complete set of vital signs parameters. More errors resulted in the PEWS value being underscored rather than overscored. The authors conclude the inaccuracy of PEWS recordings may jeopardise recognising deterioration and Smart technology may offer a solution.
Chapman, S. 2019. Missed opportunities: incomplete and inaccurate recording of paediatric early warning scores (PEWS). Archives of Diseases in Childhood, 104 (12), p1208 - 1213.
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