Everything you need to know about the Karnofsky scale
The Karnofsky scale is widely used in the hospital professional environment due to its great usefulness in indicating the evolution in geriatric and oncological patients; in addition to establishing criteria of convenience in the treatment of cancer patients.
What is the Karnofsky scale?
Known as KPS, the Karnofsky scale helps to correctly assess the abilities of the cancer patient.
It is also used to determine patient survival and indicate when to be admitted for a clinical trial.
The Karnofsky scale ranges from 0 to 100 points.
It has been used since 1948 with very good results, helping to evaluate and provide palliative care when the patient requires it.
What is the Karnofsky scale for?
Basically, the objectives of its application are:
Indicate the patient's individual abilities to carry out some daily activity.
To predict the mortality rate of patients with oncological and non-oncological pathologies.
Indicate the impact value that a treatment will have, and in turn, the prognosis of the disease to be treated.
How to interpret the Karnofsky scale?
The KPS is evaluated on an 11-point scale that starts from the total well-being of the patient (100%) to death (0%), dropping 10 points at each level.
Even so, this scale divides patients into 3 groups:
Group 1: Made up of patients who can perform their routine tasks independently. Its scale is between 100 and 80%.
Group 2: It is made up of those patients who need help to carry out their daily activities. In these cases, the scale is between 70 and 50%.
Group 3: Includes patients who need continuous assistance and whose prognosis is uncertain. Its rating is 40% or less.
Consequently, for the interpretation of the Karnofsky scale there is a table broken down as follows:
100% - Normal patient, with the first manifestations of the disease.
90% - Patient who has mild symptoms and signs of the disease, but is able to perform normal activities.
80% - Patient who performs normal activities with effort, manifesting mild symptoms.
70% - Patient able to take care of themselves, but who does not perform normal activities or active work.
60% - Patient who sometimes needs assistance with their work, but is able to perform it on their own most of the time.
50% - Patient in need of frequent medical care and considerable support.
40% - Patient in conditions of disability, who requires special assistance.
30% - Patient in hospitalization conditions with severe disability.
20% - Sick patient, in poor condition, with active supportive treatment.
10% - A patient who is depressed or dying, where symptoms and signs of death evolve rapidly.
0% - Deceased patient.
