MELD Score

The MELD (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) Score predicts 3-month mortality in patients with end-stage liver disease. It is used to prioritize patients for liver transplantation - higher scores indicate more severe liver disease and higher priority.

• Minimum values: Cr, bilirubin, and INR are set to 1.0 if below 1.0
• Maximum creatinine: Capped at 4.0 mg/dL (dialysis patients also get 4.0)
• MELD ≥15 typically qualifies for transplant listing
• Score range: 6-40 (values outside rounded to nearest boundary)
• MELD-Na incorporates serum sodium (hyponatremia predicts worse outcomes)

• Liver transplant allocation: Primary determinant of transplant priority in the US
• Prognosis in cirrhosis: Predicts 3-month mortality
• TIPS procedure: Used to assess risk before transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt
• Alcoholic hepatitis: Predicts mortality (often used alongside Maddrey's DF)