Karnofsky Performance Status Scale Online Calculator

Karnofsky performance status scale determines ability of patient to tolerate chemotherapy.

For patients ≥ 16 years old.

Useful to use over time to track disease progression.

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The Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS)  is widely used for a variety of purposes, including response to chemotherapy for cancer and assessment of chronic disease. This scale can be used to assess patients with advanced cancer or other chronic diseases, as well as progressive debility in the elderly.

The Karnofsky Performance Status Scale quantifies a patient’s functional ability and the effect of treatment, such as chemotherapy, on their basic functional ability. It is sometimes also used for prognostic purposes and to guide treatment.

The score on the scale is highly correlated with survival time and need for home care. It can also help predict the ability to progress with invasive and intensive treatments.

Patient Description  Points*Result
Normal no complaints; no evidence of disease  100Able to carry on normal activity and to work; no special care needed.
Able to carry on normal activity; minor signs or symptoms of disease  90Able to carry on normal activity and to work; no special care needed.
Normal activity with effort; some signs or symptoms of disease  80Able to carry on normal activity and to work; no special care needed.
Cares for self; unable to carry on normal activity or to do active work  70Unable to work; able to live at home and care for most personal needs; varying amount of assistance needed.
Requires occasional assistance, but is able to care for most of his personal needs  60Unable to work; able to live at home and care for most personal needs; varying amount of assistance needed.
Requires considerable assistance and frequent medical care  50Unable to work; able to live at home and care for most personal needs; varying amount of assistance needed.
Disabled; requires special care and assistance  40Unable to care for self; requires equivalent of institutional or hospital care; disease may be progressing rapidly.
Severely disabled; hospital admission is indicated although death not imminent  30Unable to care for self; requires equivalent of institutional or hospital care; disease may be progressing rapidly.
Very sick; hospital admission necessary; active supportive treatment necessary  20Unable to care for self; requires equivalent of institutional or hospital care; disease may be progressing rapidly.
Moribund; fatal processes progressing rapidly  10Unable to care for self; requires equivalent of institutional or hospital care; disease may be progressing rapidly.
Dead0Dead.
*% Survival correlates with points assigned

The lower the Karnofsky score, the worse the prognosis, which may be due to:

  • Intolerance to therapy
  • Decreased survival rates
ECOG PERFORMANCE STATUSKARNOFSKY PERFORMANCE STATUS
0—Fully active, able to carry on all pre-disease performance without restriction100—Normal, no complaints; no evidence of disease
 90—Able to carry on normal activity; minor signs or symptoms of disease
1—Restricted in physically strenuous activity but ambulatory and able to carry out work of a light or sedentary nature, e.g., light house work, office work80—Normal activity with effort, some signs or symptoms of disease
 70—Cares for self but unable to carry on normal activity or to do active work
2—Ambulatory and capable of all selfcare but unable to carry out any work activities; up and about more than 50% of waking hours60—Requires occasional assistance but is able to care for most of personal needs
 50—Requires considerable assistance and frequent medical care
3—Capable of only limited selfcare; confined to bed or chair more than 50% of waking hours40—Disabled; requires special care and assistance
 30—Severely disabled; hospitalization is indicated although death not imminent
4—Completely disabled; cannot carry on any selfcare; totally confined to bed or chair20—Very ill; hospitalization and active supportive care necessary
 10—Moribund
5—Dead0—Dead

The Karnofsky Performance Status Scale and other performance scales should be used for the holistic assessment of cancer patients, although its accuracy as a prognostic tool in some cases has not yet been sufficiently proven.

The Karnofsky Performance Status Scale is useful to clinicians in daily clinical practice, and this performance scale should be used to improve understanding of a patient’s needs and abilities, and potentially for prediction.

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Literature

  1. Karnofsky DA Burchenal JH. (1949). ‘The Clinical Evaluation of Chemotherapeutic Agents in Cancer.’ In: MacLeod CM (Ed), Evaluation of Chemotherapeutic Agents. Columbia Univ Press. Page 196.
  2. Crooks, V, Waller S, et al. The use of the Karnofsky Performance Scale in determining outcomes and risk in geriatric outpatients. J Gerontol. 1991; 46: M139-M144.
  3. Hollen PJ, Gralla RJ, et al. Measurement of quality of life in patients with lung cancer in multicenter trials of new therapies. Cancer. 1994; 73: 2087-2098.
  4. O’Toole DM, Golden AM. Evaluating cancer patients for rehabilitation potential. West J Med. 1991; 155:384-387.
  5. Schag CC, Heinrich RL, Ganz PA. Karnofsky performance status revisited: Reliability, validity, and guidelines. J Clin Oncology. 1984; 2:187-193.


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Interactive OSCE Checklist – Emergency care of a patient with chest pain – Acute Coronary Syndrome with ST-segment elevation and equivalents

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• Opening the consultation

• Availability of a defibrillator

• Presenting complaint

• History of presenting complaint

• Past medical history

• Drug history

• Physical examination

• Intravenous access

• Registration of a 12-channel ECG

• Express test for the determination of cardiac troponin, myoglobin, creatine phosphokinase-MB, if possible

• Making preliminary diagnosis

• Drug therapy (basic)

• Evaluation of the door-balloon time (the choice of further reperfusion strategy aimed as soon as possible to restore the coronary blood flow in the infarct-dependent artery)

• Call the nearest reperfusion center

• P2Y12 receptor inhibitor prescription depending on the chosen strategy of reperfusion therapy

• Carrying out thrombolytic therapy as needed

• Transportation to the nearest reperfusion center

Total: 0 / 62
Additional materials: https://clincasequest.hospital/chest-pain-history-taking/ https://clincasequest.hospital/pericarditis/ https://clincasequest.hospital/stephen-smiths-formula/ https://clincasequest.hospital/wellens-syndrome/ https://clincasequest.hospital/aslangers-pattern/ Register on our website right…
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