The CHA2DS2-VASc score is a clinical prediction tool that estimates the risk of a stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (non-rheuumatic). It is a refined version of the CHADS2 score (see menu to left for link to this clinical calculator) used to determine whether the patient should be treated with anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy in order to reduce their risk of stroke. Those patients scoring either 0 or 1 on the CHADS2 tool should be reassessed using the CHA2DS2-VASc tool. The CHA2DS2-VASc score is able to better startify low risk patients. In the UK, NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) recommends the use of the CHADS2 scoring system. However, guidelines published in 2012 by the European Society of Cardiology suggest using the CHA2DS2-VASc score to determine the most appropriate anticoagulation startegy. You must give information about all eight criteria - congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, stroke/TIA, vascular disease and patient gender - in order to startify the patient for the risk of stroke using the CHA2DS2-VASc tool.
|