Use of a modified early warning score system to reduce the rate of in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background: Physiological abnormalities are often observed in patients prior to cardiac arrest. A modified early warning score (MEWS) system was introduced, which aims to detect early abnormalities by grading vital signs, and the present study investigated its usefulness.

Methods: Based on previous reports, the Chubu Tokushukai Hospital-customized MEWS was developed in Okinawa, Japan.