10
SpO
2
and Heart Rate Values at Rest
These values have been created from population tables of the normal distribution of oxygen saturation and Heart
Rate values within the general population. The colour coding by traffic light colours are a good indicator if the
reading is
Normal or Fair
-
Green zone,
Poor or Concern
-
Amber zone
or
Alert
-
Red zone
.
NEWS
The National Early Warning Score (NEWS), like many existing Early Warning Score systems, is based on a simple
scoring system in which a number is allocated to physiological measurements (
Vital Signs
) routinely measured in
hospital and recorded on the patient clinical chart. The six simple physiological parameters form the basis of the
scoring system:
1.
Respiratory rate;
2.
Oxygen saturations;
3.
Temperature;
4.
Systolic blood pressure;
5.
Heart rate; and
6.
Level of consciousness.
A score is allocated to each of these
Vital Signs
as
they are measured and added together, and the
magnitude of the score reflects how extreme the
parameter varies from the norm.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP)
advocates
standardising the use of a NEWS system
across
the NHS in order to drive the
‘
step change
’
required in the assessment and response to acute
illness.
