Child-Pugh Score - Other Scoring Systems

Other Scoring Systems

Although the Child-Turcotte scoring system was the first of its kind in stratifying the seriousness of end-stage liver disease, it is by no means the only one. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) is used increasingly to assess patients for liver transplantation, although both scores seem to be more or less equivalent. The MELD score is perhaps a more accurate assessment of perioperative mortality in patients with hepatic dysfunction. The score is derived from a linear regression model based on serum bilirubin, creatinine levels, and the international normalized ratio (INR). It is more accurate than the Child classification in that it is objective, gives weights to each variable, and does not rely on arbitrary cut-off values. Clinicians can use a website to calculate the 7-day, 30-day, 90-day, 1-year, and 5-year surgical mortality risk on the basis of the patient’s age, ASA class, INR, serum bilirubin, and creatinine levels. Taken together, the Child classification and the MELD score complement each other and provide an accurate assessment of the risk of surgery in cirrhotic patients.