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National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2).
Aggregate of RR, SpO₂, temperature, SBP and pulse sub-scores (0–15)
0–15
Interpret results together with the patient's clinical presentation.
Specialty
Emergency MedicineCategory
EmergencyDifficulty
Basic
Estimated Time
30 seconds
Version
1.0
Last Updated
2026-08-06
Formula
Keywords
Normal Range
0–15
Calculates the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) to standardize the assessment of acute illness severity and trigger appropriate clinical responses.
A NEWS2 score of 0 indicates low clinical risk. Scores of 1–4 suggest low-to-moderate risk; evaluate by a competent registered nurse. A score of 5–6 or any single score of 3 in any parameter indicates high risk; urgent assessment by a clinician with critical care competencies. A score of ≥7 indicates very high risk; emergency assessment, likely ICU admission.
NEWS2 provides a standardized, evidence-based approach to detecting clinical deterioration. It has been shown to improve patient outcomes by enabling early intervention before critical deterioration occurs.
A 72-year-old woman on the surgical ward has respiratory rate 24/min, SpO₂ 93% on air, temperature 38.2°C, systolic BP 100 mmHg, and pulse 110 bpm, and is alert.
Inputs:
NEWS2 sub-scores: RR 2, SpO₂ 2, temperature 1, SBP 2, pulse 1 — aggregate 8, indicating very high clinical risk and requiring emergency clinical assessment.
Score 0: low clinical risk. 1-4: low-to-moderate risk, assess by registered nurse. 5-6 or any single parameter of 3: high risk, urgent clinician assessment. 7 or more: very high risk, emergency assessment, likely ICU admission.
Patients on long-term oxygen may have persistently low SpO2. Use the target SpO2 scoring scale (88-92% or 94-98% as clinically appropriate) rather than the standard SpO2 scale.
No. NEWS2 is validated for adult inpatients. Use the Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) for children.
Disclaimer: This calculator is intended for educational and clinical decision support purposes only. NEWS2 should be used as part of a comprehensive clinical assessment and does not replace clinical judgment.