Prachand et al proposed a scoring system for Medically Necessary, Time-Sensitive (MeNTS) procedures that would aid decision making when manage scarce resources or increased risk. This consists of 3 subscores - procedure, disease and patient. The authors are from the University fo Chicago.
Parameters:
(1) age in years
(2) lung disease (COPD, asthma, etc)
(3) obstructive sleep apnea
(4) cardiovascular disease (hypertension, CHF, coronary artery disease, etc)
(5) diabetes
(6) immunocompromised status
(7) influenza-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, diarrhea)
(8) exposure history to known COVID-19 positive person in past 14 days (or other transmissible disease)
|
Parameter
|
Finding
|
Points
|
|
age in years
|
<= 20 years
|
1
|
|
|
21 to 40 years
|
2
|
|
|
41 to 50 years
|
3
|
|
|
51 to 65 years
|
4
|
|
|
> 65 years
|
5
|
|
lung disease
|
none
|
1
|
|
|
minimal
|
4
|
|
|
more than minimal
|
5
|
|
obstructive sleep apnea
|
absent
|
1
|
|
|
mild or moderate
|
4
|
|
|
severe (on CPAP)
|
5
|
|
cardiovascular disease
|
none
|
1
|
|
|
minimal (no meds)
|
2
|
|
|
mild
|
3
|
|
|
moderate
|
4
|
|
|
severe
|
5
|
|
diabetes
|
absent
|
1
|
|
|
mild
|
3
|
|
|
moderate
|
4
|
|
|
insulin-dependent
|
5
|
|
immunocompromised
|
absent
|
1
|
|
|
moderate
|
4
|
|
|
severe
|
5
|
|
symptoms of infection
|
none
|
1
|
|
|
yes
|
5
|
|
exposure history
|
no
|
1
|
|
|
probably not
|
2
|
|
|
possibly
|
3
|
|
|
probably
|
4
|
|
|
yes
|
5
|
subscore for the patient =
= SUM(points for all of the parameters)
Interpretation:
• minimum subscore: 8
• maximum subscore: 40
