Free tool

MEWS & NEWS2 Calculator.

Two bedside early warning scores in one place. Enter a set of vitals and get the aggregate score, exactly which parameters are driving it, the color-coded clinical-risk band, and the recommended escalation response. MEWS follows the original Subbe 2001 table still used widely in US hospitals; NEWS2 follows the Royal College of Physicians 2017 standard used across the NHS. Aggregate scores flag deterioration before it becomes a code — but they support your judgment, they don't replace it.

MEWS — 5 parameters (Subbe et al. 2001). Common US rapid-response trigger.

Temperature units:

Systolic BP (mmHg)

Heart rate (bpm)

Respiratory rate (/min)

Temperature (°C)

Level of consciousness (AVPU)

Enter the vital signs above.

MEWS scoring table [1]

Parameter	3	2	1	0	1	2	3
Systolic BP (mmHg)	≤70	71–80	81–100	101–199		≥200
Heart rate (bpm)		≤40	41–50	51–100	101–110	111–129	≥130
Resp. rate (/min)		<9		9–14	15–20	21–29	≥30
Temperature (°C)		<35		35–38.4		≥38.5
AVPU				Alert	Voice	Pain	Unresp.

Aggregate score 0–4 across the five parameters. A MEWS ≥ 5 was associated with a markedly higher risk of death, ICU and HDU admission in the original validation [1]; many facilities trigger a rapid-response review at a total ≥ 4 or a score of 3 in any single parameter [2]. Always follow your own facility's trigger thresholds.

NEWS2 scoring table [3]

Parameter	3	2	1	0	1	2	3
Resp. rate (/min)	≤8		9–11	12–20		21–24	≥25
SpO₂ Scale 1 (%)	≤91	92–93	94–95	≥96
SpO₂ Scale 2 (%)	≤83	84–85	86–87	88–92 / ≥93 air	93–94 O₂	95–96 O₂	≥97 O₂
Air or oxygen		O₂		Air
Systolic BP (mmHg)	≤90	91–100	101–110	111–219			≥220
Pulse (bpm)	≤40		41–50	51–90	91–110	111–130	≥131
Consciousness				Alert			CVPU
Temperature (°C)	≤35.0		35.1–36.0	36.1–38.0	38.1–39.0	≥39.1

Clinical-risk thresholds [4]: 0–4 low (ward response); a score of 3 in any single parameter is low–medium risk (urgent ward review); 5–6 medium (key threshold — urgent response); ≥7 high (emergency response, critical-care competencies). The +2 for supplemental oxygen and the separate SpO₂ Scale 2 are the defining changes in NEWS2 vs the original NEWS.

Disclaimer: Educational tool only — not a clinical decision-support device, not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for your assessment, your provider's orders, or your facility's policy. Early warning scores are a safety net, not a verdict: a low score never overrides clinical concern, and you should escalate any patient who worries you regardless of the number. Enter de-identified values only; nothing is stored or transmitted. Confirm the trigger thresholds your unit actually uses.

References

Subbe CP, Kruger M, Rutherford P, Gemmel L. Validation of a modified Early Warning Score in medical admissions. QJM. 2001;94(10):521–526. doi:10.1093/qjmed/94.10.521. (Original MEWS table; score ≥5 linked to higher risk of death, ICU and HDU admission.)
Royal College of Physicians. National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2 — Chart 2: thresholds and triggers. London: RCP; 2017. rcp.ac.uk. (Single-parameter score of 3 = red score, urgent review — the principle many MEWS protocols also apply.)
Royal College of Physicians. National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2 — Chart 1: the NEWS scoring system. London: RCP; 2017. rcp.ac.uk. (Parameter point values used here, including SpO₂ Scale 1/2 and the +2 for supplemental oxygen.)
Royal College of Physicians. National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2: standardising the assessment of acute-illness severity in the NHS. Updated report of a working party. London: RCP; 2017. rcp.ac.uk. (Clinical-response thresholds: 0–4 low, 5–6 medium, ≥7 high.)

Thresholds and bandings above were transcribed directly from these primary sources. Your facility may use locally adapted triggers — those take precedence at the bedside.

Pairs well with

MEWS & NEWS2 Calculator.

MEWS scoring table [1]

NEWS2 scoring table [3]

References

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