Objective:: to translate and adapt the BPEWS for the Portuguese language, with the purpose of verifying its applicability in the Brazilian context studied.
Method:: methodological study guided by international and nationally accepted recommendations for translation and adaptation of health measurement instruments. Stages of conceptual, item, semantic, operational and pre-test equivalence are described for obtaining the BPEWS Portuguese version to be used in Brazil.
Results:: the BPEWS version translated and adapted for Brazilian Portuguese (BPEWS-Br) identified, in the pilot study, that 26.6% of children were presenting warning signs for clinical deterioration.
Conclusion:: the BPEWS-Br seems to be applicable for the context studied, and its use might help nurses in the recognition and documentation of warning signs for clinical deterioration in hospitalized Brazilian children.