Inability to Walk Predicts Death among Adult Patients in Hospitals in Malawi.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Vital signs are often used in triage, but some may be difficult to assess in low-resource settings. A patient's ability to walk is a simple and rapid sign that requires no equipment or expertise. This study aimed to determine the predictive performance for death of an inability to walk among hospitalized Malawian adults and to compare its predictive value with the vital signs-based National Early Warning Score (NEWS).

Methods

It is a prospective cohort study of adult in-patients on selected days in two hospitals in Malawi. Patients were asked to walk five steps with close observation and their vital signs were assessed. Sensitivities, specificities, and predictive values for in-patient death of an inability to walk were calculated and an inability to walk was compa

SUBMITTER: Kayambankadzanja RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6642788 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature