Ats score

Author:Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer

All authors of this article

Last updated on: 29.10.2020

Dieser Artikel auf Deutsch

Synonym(s)

ATS scale; ATS Scale

Requires free registration (medical professionals only)

Please login to access all articles, images, and functions.

Our content is available exclusively to medical professionals. If you have already registered, please login. If you haven't, you can register for free (medical professionals only).


Requires free registration (medical professionals only)

Please complete your registration to access all articles and images.

To gain access, you must complete your registration. You either haven't confirmed your e-mail address or we still need proof that you are a member of the medical profession.

Finish your registration now

DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.

Established, well validated, prognostic clinical-medical parameter for risk stratification of a patient with dyspnea. The ATS score is a symptom-based classification and divides dyspnea into five grades (0 to 4) depending on the symptoms and the degree of severity of various characteristics:

  • Grade 0: No dyspnoea. No shortness of breath - except during significant physical exertion.
  • Grade 1: Mild dyspnoea. Shortness of breath when walking rapidly or slightly increasing.
  • Grade 2: Moderate dyspnoea. Shortness of breath when walking normally on the flat, pauses to catch your breath even at your own pace.
  • Grade 3: Severe dyspnea. Pauses when walking after a few minutes or after about 100 metres at walking pace.
  • Grade 4: Very severe dyspnea. Too short of breath to leave the house. Shortness of breath when talking and/or dressing.

The aim is to predict lethality or to predict risk (identification of patients with a low risk of lethality who can be safely treated on an outpatient basis or those who require more intensive monitoring and therapy in the clinic).

Modified ATS-Score for the assessment of intensive care treatment:

Major Criteria:

  • Necessity of intubation and machine ventilation
  • Need to administer vasopressors > 4 hours (septic shock)

Minor criteria:

  • severe acute respiratory insufficiency (paO2 / FiO2 <250)
  • multilobular infiltrates in the ro- thorax
  • systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg
  • disturbed consciousness
  • respiratory frequency > 30/min
  • acute renal failure
  • Leukopenia
  • thrombocytopenia
  • Hypothermia

If at least 1 major criterion or 2 minor criteria are positive, immediate intensive medical treatment is recommended. The sensitivity of the ATS score is 69%, the specificity 97%, the predictive value 94%.

Note(s)This section has been translated automatically.

With regard to the prediction of lethality, the CRB-65 Index has established itself as a simple score with good prediction of the risk of lethality. Alternatively, the CURB score can be used in conjunction with a laboratory parameter (U=Urea).

LiteratureThis section has been translated automatically.

  1. Kostianev SS et al (2001) A factor analysis of dyspnea indexes and lung function parameters in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Folia Med (Plovdiv) 43:27-31.
  2. Valencia M et al (2007) Pneumonia severity index class v patients with community-acquired pneumonia: characteristics, outcomes, and value of severity scores. Chest 132:515-522.

Authors

Last updated on: 29.10.2020