What is a MELD Score?
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has developed an objective way of scoring the severity of a patient’s liver disease to predict who needs a liver transplant most urgently. The Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is based on three laboratory values: creatinine (measure of kidney function), INR (measure of clotting function and liver function), and bilirubin (measure of liver function). The higher your MELD score, the more urgent your need is for transplantation. This score is then used to prioritize the organ waiting list so that the sickest people are transplanted first. The MELD score’s numerical scale ranges from 6 (patients who are less ill) to 40 (patients who are gravely ill). A patient’s MELD score can change a number of times, based on the progression of his or her liver disease.
