DECAF Score (acute COPD exacerbation)
DECAF score (Steer 2012): predicts in-hospital mortality in an acute COPD exacerbation (0-6) from dyspnea, eosinopenia, consolidation, acidemia, and atrial fibrillation.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Extended MRC dyspnea
- eMRCD 5b: housebound, dependent for self-care (+2)
- Eosinopenia
- Yes
- Acidemia
- Yes
Result: DECAF 4/6: high risk (in-hospital mortality 34.6%).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Mortality
- in-hospital mortality is low at 0-1 (1.4%), intermediate at 2 (8.4%), and high at 3-6 (34.6%).
What you enter
- Extended MRC dyspnea (eMRCD)
- Eosinopenia (< 0.05 x10^9/L)
- Consolidation on chest X-ray
- Acidemia (pH < 7.30)
- Atrial fibrillation
How this is calculated
- Components
- eMRCD dyspnea (5a = +1, 5b = +2), eosinopenia < 0.05, consolidation, acidemia pH < 7.30, and atrial fibrillation, summed 0-6.
Steer J, Gibson J, Bourke SC. The DECAF Score: predicting hospital mortality in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax. 2012;67(11):970-976. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.