Assessment of early sepsis recognition scores: experience from a quarternary hospital in Brazil

Abstract

 Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of screening tools for the early detection of sepsis. Methods: A prospective study that included 443 sepsis protocols from a quaternary hospital in Rio de Janeiro between January and August 2023. The sensitivity and specificity of three tools were compared: Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), quick Sepsis Related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and National Early Warning Score (NEWS). Results: Among patients with septic shock, 88% had a NEWS score > 4, while 74% of sepsis cases also had this score. NEWS stood out with a sensitivity of 87% for septic shock and 74% for sepsis, outperforming the other tools in both cases. Additionally, qSOFA was more specific, with 89% specificity for sepsis. Most patients were elderly and female, with initial screening indicating a high level of risk. Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of early identification of sepsis, recommending the use of NEWS as the primary tool in emergency services. Although conducted at a single center, the findings encourage the adoption of NEWS-based protocols to improve outcomes in sepsis management.