Karnofsky Scoring
The Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) was assessed within a geriatric outpatient population, focusing on its associations with established geriatric tools, predictive capabilities, and potential for identifying high-risk patients. In a 134-patient sample, the KPS was part of a comprehensive assessment alongside Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), and psychosocial and sensory tests. The KPS exhibited significant correlations with ADL and IADL, showing the strongest functional associations. Predictively, the KPS performed equally or better than ADL and IADL, proving its effectiveness. It effectively categorized high- and low-risk groups, excelling in discrimination over ADL and IADL. The KPS effectively represented health and function, predicted hospitalizations, survival, residence, and institutionalization, and aptly guided service targeting for ambulatory geriatric patients.
| Score | Symptoms | |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Normal, no complaints, no evidence of disease | Able to carry on normal activity and to work; no special care needed. |
| 90 | Minor Sign or symptom of disease | |
| 80 | Moderate symptoms, Normal activity with effort | |
| 70 | No assistance | Unable to work; able to live at home and care for most personal needs; varying amount of assistance needed. |
| 60 | Occasional assistance | |
| 50 | Considerable assistance or frequent medical care | |
| 40 | Bedridden > 50% time | Unable to care for self; requires equivalent of institutional or hospital care; disease may be progressing rapidly. |
| 30 | Severely disabled, hospitalization indicated although death not imminent | |
| 20 | Completely bedridden and dependent upon extensive nursing care by professionals/family | |
| 10 | Moribund; fatal processes progressing rapidly | |
| 0 | Dead |