The Hospital Prognostic Index combines information related to a patient's clinical diagnosis, nutritional status and immune competence to generate a number which correlates with the patient's probability of survival.
Parameters:
(1) serum albumin in g/dL
(2) delayed hypersensitivity
(3) sepsis
(4) diagnosis of cancer
Parameter
Finding
Points
delayed hypersensitivity
zone of induration to one or more antigens injected intradermally
1
anergy (no zones of induration)
2
sepsis
absent (nonseptic)
1
present
2
diagnosis of cancer
absent
2
present
1
where:
• Antigens injected to assess delayed hypersensitivity may be Candida albicans, mumps and/or streptokinase-streptodornase.
hospital prognostic index =
= (0.91 * (serum albumin in g/dL)) - (1.00 * (points for delayed hypersensitivity)) - (1.44 * (points for sepsis)) + (0.98 * (points for cancer diagnosis)) - 1.09
Interpretation:
• The correlation between the index and probability of survival is shown in Figure 1 on page 2018 (Harvey et al, 1981). An equation approximating this curve is:
