Calculators are not just clinical tools — they are AKT questions. Knowing the right calculator for the right situation, understanding what the scores mean clinically, and accessing them quickly during consultations are all testable competencies.
Essential for Daily Practice
NEWS2 — National Early Warning Score. Acute deterioration assessment. Know the scoring parameters and escalation thresholds. CURB-65 — Pneumonia severity. Determines hospital vs community management. Wells score — DVT/PE probability. Determines whether D-dimer or imaging is appropriate. CHA₂DS₂-VASc — AF stroke risk. Determines anticoagulation threshold. AUDIT-C / AUDIT — Alcohol screening. Scoring determines intervention level. PHQ-9 / GAD-7 — Depression and anxiety screening. Scoring determines severity and management pathway. eGFR / CKD staging — Renal function. Affects prescribing decisions across almost all drug classes.
Essential for AKT
All the above plus: QRISK3 — Cardiovascular risk assessment. 10-year risk determines statin initiation. FRAX — Fracture risk assessment. Determines investigation and treatment thresholds. BMI — Obesity classification. Affects multiple management pathways.
Useful to Know
Glasgow-Blatchford (GI bleed triage). SOFA (sepsis organ failure). PECARN (paediatric head injury). MELD/MELD-Na (liver disease severity). APACHE II (ICU mortality prediction). Lille (alcoholic hepatitis response). Centor (tonsillitis antibiotic decision).
Where to Access
iatroX — 84+ calculators including all the essential GP tools. Two-column desktop layout designed for consultation-time use. MdCalc — Comprehensive international library (600+). US-centric defaults for some scores.
The AKT Trap
AKT questions may test your understanding of what a score means clinically — not just the calculation. "A patient has a CHA₂DS₂-VASc of 2 — what is the recommended management?" tests whether you know the anticoagulation threshold, not whether you can add up the score.
Where iatroX Fits
iatroX ships 84+ clinical calculators including NEWS2, MELD, MELD-Na, Glasgow-Blatchford, PECARN, SOFA, Lille, APACHE II, and all essential GP primary care tools — alongside adaptive quiz and clinical Q&A on the same platform.