Pre-Op Risk Tools
This tool uses factors like age, comorbidities, and surgical urgency to estimate 30-day mortality.
What is the ACS NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator?
This endocrine disorder increases surgical risk due to poor wound healing and infection.
What is diabetes mellitus?
These surgeries inherently carry a higher risk due to blood loss and long duration.
What are vascular or thoracic surgeries?
A healthy patient with no systemic disease.
What is ASA Class I?
Orthopnea, PND, and 3+ pitting edema suggest this condition.
What is decompensated heart failure?
This score assesses cardiac risk pre-operatively based on 6 criteria including diabetes, CHF, and prior MI.
What is the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI)?
This common cardiac condition can worsen under anesthesia and increase perioperative mortality.
What is congestive heart failure (CHF)?
This urgency level of surgery is associated with the highest mortality risk.
What is emergency surgery?
A moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operation.
What is ASA Class V?
This lab value, if <4 METs, indicates poor functional capacity.
What is the Duke Activity Status Index (or low METs <4)?
This tool measures frailty by gait speed, grip strength, weight loss, and exhaustion.
What is the Fried Frailty Phenotype?
This pulmonary condition raises post-op risk due to increased likelihood of hypoxia and complications.
What is COPD?
The type of anesthesia that can increase risk in frail or elderly patients.
What is general anesthesia?
A patient with end-stage renal disease on dialysis or unstable angina.
What is ASA Class IV?
A creatinine >2.0 signals increased risk for this type of complication.
What is acute kidney injury (AKI)?
This tool helps assess pulmonary risk by incorporating FEV1, type of surgery, and exercise tolerance.
What is the ARISCAT score?
Patients with this condition are at risk for adrenal crisis perioperatively.
What is chronic steroid use / adrenal insufficiency?
Surgeries in this region have elevated aspiration and airway obstruction risk.
What are head and neck surgeries?
A patient with COPD and diabetes with some functional limitation.
What is ASA Class III?
Elderly patients with multiple meds are at risk for this common post-op complication.
What is delirium?
This is a newer, EMR-friendly frailty index using diagnosis codes and medications.
What is the Risk Analysis Index (RAI)?
This neurologic condition increases aspiration and respiratory failure risk.
What is advanced Parkinson's disease or myasthenia gravis?
A high-risk surgery commonly done in elderly that can be associated with delirium and thromboembolic risk.
What is hip fracture repair?
A patient with well-controlled hypertension is considered this class.
What is ASA Class II?
A patient who cannot walk a block or climb a flight of stairs may be considered this.
What is functionally frail or high risk?