National Early Warning Score and D-dimer to Identify Medical Patients at Low Risk of 30-day Mortality

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim is to determine if the National Early Warning Score combined with plasma D-dimer levels can be used in risk stratification of acutely ill medical patients presenting to a Danish Emergency Department. The investigators wish to identify patients at low risk of mortality within 30 days.

Detailed Description
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Large increases in emergency admissions are raising concerns about whether all admissions are necessary. If there was a fast and reliable system that could be used to determine the risk of all medical patients, many low-risk patients could be safely returned to primary care or outpatient follow-up clinics. The investigators wish to determine, if the combination of the National Early Warning Score and plasma D-dimer levels can be used to identify patients at low risk of mortality within 30 days in an unselected group of medical patients presenting to a Danish Emergency Department. This is a prospective observational study that will be performed on adult medical patients referred to the Emergency Department of a Danish hospital to be assessed for possible admission. The study will be performed in the Emergency Department of Hospital of South West Jutland in the region of Southern Denmark.

Official Title
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Combined Use of the National Early Warning Score and D-dimer to Identify Medical Patients at Low Risk of 30-day Mortality in a Danish Emergency Department

Conditions
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Medical Patients in the Emergency Department

Intervention / Treatment
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* Diagnostic Test: D-dimer test


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Admission to the Emergency Department of Hospital of South West Jutland Requirement of any blood test Age 18 years Informed consent given Exclusion Criteria: Age 18 years Informed consent not given

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Diagnostic Test: D-dimer test|D-dimer test|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30-days mortality | mortality within 30 days after assessment will be determined for all patients using data extracted from the Danish Civil Registration System patients using data extracted from the Danish Civil Registration System | 30 days | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hospital length of stay (LOS) | length of stay will be calculated from the time of the patients' arrival at the hospital to the moment of the discharge for all patients using data extracted from the Danish National Patient Registry | 30 days | 
| Readmissions within 30 days | readmissions within 30 days after primary assessment will be determined for all patients using data extracted from the Danish National Patient Registry | 30 days | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Emergency Department, Medical patients, D-dimer, National Early Warning Score, NEWS, 30-days mortality, Mortality