Ability of NEWS2 to detect sepsis in adult patients – Full Text

Blood stream infections are associated with high mortality and morbidity. NEWS2 is a quick scoring system including bedside measurable vital signs. This study aimed to investigate the ability of NEWS2 ≥ 5p to identify sepsis, per Sepsis-3 criteria, among adult patients with community-acquired infection and positive blood cultures. It also explored if NEWS2 ≥ 5p could indicate infection etiology based on bacterial species in blood culture. This retrospective study included 555 patients with positive blood cultures. 425 of 555 (76.6%) patients had sepsis. The sensitivity of NEWS2 ≥ 5p for detecting sepsis was 86.6% and was not statistically associated with infection etiology. Patients with S. pneumoniae had a higher median NEWS2 score than those with other bacterial species. The 28-day mortality rate was 12.1%, and the sensitivity of NEWS2 ≥ 5p for detecting 28-day mortality was 91.0%. NEWS2 ≥ 5p was detected in a high proportion of sepsis cases among patients with blood stream infections, independent of bacterial species, and is a quick tool for identifying high sepsis likelihood in the emergency department.

Prytz KL, Magnuson A, Sundqvist M, Kurland L, Källman J. The Ability of NEWS2 to Detect Sepsis in Adult Patients With Positive Blood Cultures. APMIS. 2025 Dec;133(12):e70129. doi: 10.1111/apm.70129. PMID: 41457009.