Objective:

To identify the scientific evidence in the literature on the use of early warning scales in the identification of adult and elderly patients in clinical deterioration in emergency medical services.

Methods:

Integrative review, supported by the recommendation Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, with a search mnemonic based on the Populacion - Interest Phenomenon - Context (PICo) strategy, performed in the sources: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes Database Search of Health, Web of Science, SciVerse Scopus, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Rayyan was used in selection and content analysis to analyze the findings.

Results:

691 articles were identified, of which 22 composed the sample and 27 scales were listed, with emphasis on the National Early Warning Score, National Early Warning Score 2, Quick Sepsis Related Organ Failure Assessment and Modified Early Warning Score. The scales had similar assessment parameters, characterized by heart rate, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation and level of consciousness.

Conclusion:

27 scales were listed with similar evaluation parameters, in which four were the most prevalent and of these the National Early Warning Score proved to be the most accurate, however evidence shows that the Modified Early Warning Score is the most used in emergency medical services.

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