Authors' objectives: Every year, there are approximately 400,000 visits to Irish emergency departments and injury units by children less than 16 years of age. In the emergency department, a patient's condition may unexpectedly worsen after initial triage, leading to a deterioration in their vital signs, mental status, or other indicators of their overall health. Early warning systems (EWSs) are a way to help clinicians identify and communicate clinical deterioration. EWSs are a combination of a recognition scoring system with a response pathway featuring clear escalation actions and plans for patient review and intervention. They are used in healthcare settings to identify and track potential deterioration in a patient's condition. Ireland already has guidelines in place for the use of EWSs in adult emergency care and in the paediatric inpatient setting, but does not have a guideline on their use in paediatric emergency care.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: https://www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications/cicer-clinical-guideline-support/paediatric-early-warning-system-emergency

URL for protocol: https://www.hiqa.ie/sites/default/files/2026-02/CEMEWS%20Protocol_Scoping%20review%20of%20PEWS.pdf

Year Published: 2026

URL for published report: https://www.hiqa.ie/sites/default/files/2026-02/CEMEWS%20Report_Systematic%20review%20of%20clinical%20guidelines.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Other

Country: Ireland

Organisation Name: Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)

Contact Address: Health Information and Quality Authority, George's Court, George's Lane,Smithfield, Dublin 7. PH : + 353 (01) 814 7464

Contact Name: info@hiqa.ie

Contact Email: info@hiqa.ie