Mortality in ED Sepsis Score — A Solid Step Forward

The MEDS score is useful for risk stratification but not as a basis for treatment decisions.

Early recognition and treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock, the leading causes of death in critically ill noncardiac patients, is essential. The Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score was designed to predict 28-day mortality in patients with suspected sepsis (Journal Watch Emergency Medicine May 27 2003). The scoring system categorizes patients into risk groups based on the presence of nine independent predictors of mortality: terminal illness, tachypnea or hypoxia, septic shock, platelet count <150,000 cells/mm³, band proportion >5%, age >65, lower respiratory infection, nursing home residence, and altered mental status. In a prospective multicenter study, researchers validated the score in a cohort of 385 adult ED pa…

Reviewing Author

Tiffany M. Osborn, MD