Effectiveness of using the NEWS2 in the management of sepsis in emergency departments: an integrative literature review

Sepsis is a time-critical emergency in which early recognition and rapid intervention are essential to improve patient outcomes. The National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) is a widely used tool for standardising physiological assessment and escalation in acute care; however, its effectiveness within emergency department (ED) sepsis pathways is unclear. The integrative literature review detailed in this article aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of NEWS2 in the early detection and management of sepsis in ED and acute care settings, and to identify implications for clinical practice, policy, education and future research. A structured literature search identified four studies that met the inclusion criteria, reflecting the limited evidence available specifically examining the effectiveness of NEWS2 in the management of sepsis in ED settings. Several key findings emerged, including that: repeated NEWS2 assessments are more informative than single scores; NEWS2 is sensitive to detecting patient deterioration but limited in predicting mortality; combining NEWS2 with other tools improves risk stratification; and performance depends on setting and implementation factors.