Introduction:

In the perioperative setting, complications take longer than expected to be identified and corrected due to the exclusive use of clinical judgment. The EWS algorithm promptly detects and shortens time of admissions to an Intensive Care Unit. Although several early warning algorithms exist, we compared the currently used model with a well-known and validated MEWS score.

Objective:

To compare two Early Warning Score algorithms in the perioperative setting at the Hospital Ángeles Pedregal.

Material and methods:

During a 60-day period, the currently used early warning system was compared to a validated EWS in patients that underwent general/gastrointestinal surgery.

Results:

A total of 295 patients were included. A total of 21 complications were detected, there were six admittance to ICU. Calls to the rapid response team were made three times, with a sensitivity of 66 and 33% for MEWSHAP and MEWS respectively. Complications in both groups were proportional to patients’ age, and no relation was found with operative time.

Conclusions:

The currently used algorithm in our hospital is apt for use in surgical patients. While its application does not replace clinical assessment of complications that require reoperation, it opens the door to specific adjustments for our patient population.