Scores and clinical tools

Glasgow Coma Scale

Quantify level of consciousness after head injury or in any acutely unwell patient.

Neurology1974 / 2014 structured approach3 inputs

qSOFA

Rapid bedside identification of infected patients at higher risk of poor outcome.

Critical careSepsis-3 (2016)3 inputs

CURB-65

Estimate 30-day mortality in community-acquired pneumonia and guide site of care.

Respiratory20035 inputs

NEWS2

Track physiological deterioration and trigger escalation in hospital.

Critical careRCP NEWS2 (2017)7 inputs

Wells score (pulmonary embolism)

Stratify clinical probability of pulmonary embolism before testing.

CardiologyModified two-level Wells7 inputs

HEART score

Risk-stratify chest pain in the emergency department for major adverse cardiac events.

Cardiology20135 inputs

CHA₂DS₂-VASc

Estimate annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation and guide anticoagulation.

Cardiology20107 inputs

HAS-BLED

Assess major bleeding risk on anticoagulation and identify modifiable factors.

Cardiology20109 inputs

eGFR (CKD-EPI 2021)

Estimate glomerular filtration rate from creatinine for CKD staging and drug dosing.

NephrologyCKD-EPI 2021 (race-free)3 inputs

Creatinine clearance (Cockcroft-Gault)

Estimate creatinine clearance for drug dosing, where many product labels are still validated.

Nephrology19764 inputs

Child-Pugh score

Grade severity of chronic liver disease and estimate operative and survival risk.

HepatologyPugh modification (1973)5 inputs

MELD score

Predict 3-month mortality in end-stage liver disease and prioritise transplantation.

HepatologyOriginal MELD (2001)3 inputs

Anion gap (with albumin correction)

Classify metabolic acidosis as high or normal anion gap.

MetabolicStandard4 inputs

Corrected calcium

Adjust total calcium for albumin so hypo- and hypercalcaemia are not missed.

MetabolicStandard2 inputs

QTc (Bazett and Fridericia)

Correct the QT interval for heart rate before prescribing QT-prolonging drugs.

CardiologyBazett 1920 / Fridericia 19202 inputs

Paediatric maintenance fluids (Holliday-Segar)

Calculate hourly and daily maintenance fluid requirement by weight.

PaediatricsHolliday-Segar (1957)1 inputs

EDD and gestational age (Naegele)

Estimate due date and current gestation from the last menstrual period.

ObstetricsNaegele's rule1 inputs

APGAR score

Assess newborn condition at 1 and 5 minutes after birth.

Paediatrics19535 inputs

Serum osmolality and osmolar gap

Detect unmeasured osmoles such as toxic alcohols.

MetabolicStandard4 inputs