Utilization and Limitations of the Shock Index in the Emergency Settings

It is widely known that evaluation and prediction tools play an essential role in diagnosing and managing patients admitted to the emergency department. For example, evaluating patients by shock index can diagnose an underlying shock, indicating the need for resuscitation. Evidence shows that the shock index has been used in the emergency department to evaluate different cases. Due to various conditions, it can predict different clinical outcomes and mortality among patients presenting to the emergency department. In the present literature review, we have discussed the utilization and limitations of the modality in these settings. Our findings indicate that the shock index is a valuable tool that can effectively predict the need for blood transfusion and mortality among patients with traumatic injuries and other conditions, including sepsis and cardiovascular diseases. However, many factors can limit the efficacy of this tool in these settings. For instance, age, some conditions, and specific medication use might reduce the sensitivity of shock index in predicting mortality. In addition, some studies reported that the SIPA score could be better used for pediatric patients. Besides, most of the current studies are retrospective, limiting the quality of evidence in these studies. Accordingly, further studies are needed.