In 1955 Truelove and Witts used a grading scheme for patients with ulcerative colitis during trials with cortisone therapy.
Parameters:
(1) number of bowel movements per day
(2) presence of macroscopic blood in stool
(3) temperature
(4) heart rate
(5) anemia
(6) erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
|
Parameter |
Mild |
Severe |
Remission |
|
bowel movements |
<= 4 per day |
>= 6 per day |
1-2 per day |
|
blood in stool |
none to small |
macroscopic |
none |
|
body temperature |
normal (no fever) |
mean evening temperature > 99.5°F (37.5°C) , OR a temperature >= 100°F (37.8°C) on at least 2 days out of 4 |
normal |
|
heart rate |
no tachycardia |
>= 90 per minutes |
no tachycardia |
|
hemoglobin |
normal to mild anemia |
<= 75% of normal, with allowance for recent transfusion |
normal or returning to normal |
|
ESR |
<= 30 mm/h |
> 30 mm/h |
normal or returning to normal |
where:
• The method for the ESR is not given. However, since an ESR of > 30 mm/h is referred to as "much raised", I will assume that they are using the Wintrobe method.
• Moderate disease is intermediate between mild and severe.
Data from Tietz (1995)
|
Age |
Normal ESR (Wintrobe method) |
|
child |
<= 13 mm/h |
|
adult male |
<= 9 mm/h |
|
adult female |
<= 20 mm/h |
Lower limit of normal for hemoglobin
|
Age |
Male |
Female |
|
12-14 |
12.0 g/dL |
11.5 g/dL |
|
15-17 |
11.7 g/dL |
11.7 g/dL |
|
18-44 |
13.2 g/dL |
11.7 g/dL |
|
45-64 |
13.1 g/dL |
11.7 g/dL |
|
65-74 |
12.6 g/dL |
11.7 g/dL |
Specialty: Gastroenterology
