In their Chest 2010 article, Lip et al described a new risk stratification schema for assessing stroke risk in atrial fibrillation. It is called the CHA2DS2-VASc score, which is an improved version of the classic CHADS2-score. The new score consists of these items: Besides a scoring systems and corresponding risk rates, the authors also propose…Continue Reading…
According to this summary on Stroke.org, “the ABCD2 score is a risk assessment tool designed to improve the prediction of short-term stroke risk after a transient ischemic attack (TIA). The score is optimized to predict the risk of stroke within 2 days after a TIA”. More information is available here. Here is how it looks…Continue Reading…
“The Spine Instability Neoplastic Score is a comprehensive classification system with content validity that can guide clinicians in identifying when patients with neoplastic disease of the spine may benefit from surgical consultation. It can also aid surgeons in assessing the key components of spinal instability due to neoplasia and may become a prognostic tool for surgical decision-making when put in context with other key…Continue Reading…
Maas et al described in an article in Neurosurgery (2005) a new scoring system to predict 6 month mortality after traumatic brain injury, derived from the Marshall classification. The new scoring system is called the “Rotterdam CT score”, after the location where the research was performed. Here is how it looks in NeuroMind 2: After…Continue Reading…
The Canadian C-Spine (cervical-spine) Rule (CCR) and the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) Low-Risk Criteria (NLC) are decision rules to guide the use of cervical-spine radiography in patients with trauma. According to this study in the New Engl J Med the CCR is superior to the NLC with respect to sensitivity and specificity for cervical-spine injury for alert patients with trauma who…Continue Reading…
In 2005 Vaccaro et al published the TLICS score, which is “a new (proposed) classification system for thoracolumbar spine injuries, including injury severity assessment, designed to assist in clinical management. ” Actually it is the thoracolumbar version of the SLIC score of which a (recently updated) separate app is available. Now the TLICS score is available…Continue Reading…
The ICH-score has been described by Hemphill et al (2001) as “a simple clinical grading scale that allows risk stratification on presentation with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).” It is a 5-tier score that consists of the Glasgow Coma Scale, ICH volume, intraventricular hemorrhage, infratentorial origin of ICH, and age. The total score ranges from 0 –…Continue Reading…
“In adult patients with low grade glioma (LGG), older age, astrocytoma histology, presence of neurologic deficits before surgery, largest tumor diameter, and tumor crossing the midline were important prognostic factors for survival. These factors can be used to identify low-risk and high-risk patients.” – Pignatti et al, 2002 Estimating life expectancy can be useful to…Continue Reading…
A well known classification system for the grading of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is the Spetzler-Martin classification. Recently an improved version has been introduced, the Spetzler-Ponce classification, that offers a simplified 3-tier grading system with more robust data on optimal treatment and risk for postoperative deficit. Here is my implementation for NeuroMind 2: Press “Proceed” to…Continue Reading…
One of those things that I find hard to remember is the appearance of a (intracranial) hematoma on MRI. On native CT it is fairly straightforward: hyperdense in the acute phase, and gradually becoming more hypodense in the course of a few weeks. On MRI it is more difficult, and many books and websites offer…Continue Reading…