Why was sodium added to MELD?

Hyponatraemia (Na < 130 mEq/L) in cirrhosis reflects portal hypertension severity and predicts waitlist mortality independently of MELD. MELD alone underestimates risk in hyponatraemic patients.

How is MELD-Na calculated?

MELD-Na = MELD - serum Na - (0.025 x MELD x (140 - serum Na)) + 140. Serum Na is capped at 125-137 mEq/L range to prevent extreme values from dominating the score.

When was MELD-Na adopted for transplant allocation?

UNOS/OPTN adopted MELD-Na for organ allocation in the US in January 2016, replacing standard MELD. It consistently outperforms MELD in predicting 90-day waitlist mortality across validation cohorts.

MELD-Na Score Calculator

Calculate MELD-Na incorporating serum sodium for more accurate transplant waitlist mortality prediction. MELD-Na = MELD - Na - (0.025 x MELD x (140 - Na)) + 140.

Use the full interactive calculator below, or

Related Calculators

MELD Score

Medical

Child-Pugh Score