[Early Warning System for Illness Deterioration in Critically Ill Patients]

Monitoring the current and ongoing health status of patients with critical illnesses is an important function in critical care. Science-based assessments permit the early detection of deterioration in patient condition and the early implementation of medical care interventions. In this article, the empirical literature on this topic is reviewed and common early warning systems used currently and previously to detect deterioration in critically ill patients, including the disease severity assessment system, the early warning scoring tool, and the sequential organ failure assessment, are introduced. It is hoped that nursing staffs in acute and intensive care units use the information in this article to apply and validate early warning systems in order to improve the care and prognosis of critically ill patients.