CHADs test

CHA₂DS₂-VASc

What is it used for?	Assess 1 year risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation to guide need for anticoagulation therapy *similar to CHADS₂
Type of Resource?	Scoring tool
What is included?	Tool consists of risk factors associated with increased stroke risk Score ranges from 0-9 to classify patient into low to high risk of thromboembolic event For males: score 0=low risk, 1=low-moderate risk & 2+ is moderate to high risk For females: score 1=low risk, 2=low-moderate risk & 3+ is moderate to high risk Provides recommendation on whether to start anticoagulation therapy
Student Bottom Line	When a patient is diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, use this scoring tool to determine if stroke prevention therapy is necessary Important to compare to bleeding risk Clinical Pearl Although there is no statistical difference between CHA₂DS₂-VASc and CHADS₂, CHA₂DS₂-VASc is preferred. Why? Incorporates more risk factors (ex. Different age ranges, sex) If a patient is considered “low risk”, CHA₂DS₂-VASc can better assess the need for anticoagulation (ex. Patient may have a score of 0 with CHADS₂ but CHA₂DS₂-VASc may be different)

What is it used for?	Assess both the risk and benefits of starting anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation
Type of Resource?	Scoring tool
What is included?	Combination of both CHA₂DS₂-VASc (stroke risk) and HAS-BLED (bleeding risk) Components updated regularly (last update May 2023) provides absolute and relative risk reduction with specific drug therapies information presented in both table and bar graph form
Student Bottom Line	If you are interested in calculating both stroke and bleed risk in AF patients, this quick and easy tool will not only calculate the scores but will also assess the benefit/risk of specific drug therapies and overall benefit If you are interested in the interpretation of CHA₂DS₂-VASc and HAS-BLED scores, it is best to use their individual scoring tools

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