Subject: Re: Kurtze Extended Disability Status

From: Sara Bellum <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 11:14:06 -0400

Hi, Raia -

Here's the URL for the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale -

http://222.micronet.fr/~mondor/edss/htm.

It reads as follows:

Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale
(Kurtzke, Neurology, 1983, 33:1444-52)

This is a scale designed to follow overall course of a disease outcome or
treatment.  Therer is a correlation between the Kurtzke Functional System
(FS) rating system and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)

0 - Normal neurologic exam.

1.0 - No disability, minimal signs on one FS

1.5 - No disability minimal signs on >1 FS

2.0 - Minimal disability in 1 FS

2.5 - Minimal disability in 2 FS

3.0 - Moderate disability in 1 FS; or mild disability in 3-4 FS, though fully
   ambulatory

3.5 Fully ambulatory but with moderate disability in 3-4 FS

4.0 - Fully ambulatory without aid, up and about about 12 hrs./day despite
relatively severe disability.  Able to walk without aid 500 meters

4.5 - Fully ambulatory without aid, up and about much of the day, able to
work a full day, may otherwise have some limitations of full activity or
require minimal assistance.  Relatively severe disability.  Able to walak
without aid 300 meters

5.0 - Ambulatory without aid for about 200 m.  Disability impairs full daily
activities.

5.5 - Ambulatory for 100 m., disability precludes full daily activities

6.0 - Intermittent or unilateral constant assistance required to walk 100 m.
with or without resting

6.5 - Constant bilateral support required to walk 20 m. without resting

7.0 - Unable to walk beyond 5 m. even with aid, essentially restricted to
wheelchair, wheels self, transfers alone

7.5 - Unable to take more than a few steps, restricted to wheelchair, may
need aid in transfer, wheels self but may require motorized chair for full
day's activities

8.0 - Essentially restricted to bed or chair or perambulated in wheelchair,
but may be out of bed much of day, retains self care functions, generally
effective use of arms

8.5 - Essentially restricted to bed much of day, some effective use of arms,
some self care functions

9.0 - Helpless bed patient, can communicate and eat

9.5 - Unable to communicate or eat/swallow

10.0 - Death

Raia, due to the length of this post, I'll post KURTZKE FUNCTIONAL SYSTEMS
separately so that you can relate the FS to that system.  This is the 1983
version; Kurtzke's first disability status scale included 10 criteria and
was published in 1961.  Take care,

At 04:39 PM 8/7/96 -0700, you wrote:
>Does anyone know of a site where I can find a description by the numbers
>for the Kurtze Extended Disabilty Status.  I'm not sure I have the name
>right, but I'm sure I have seen it referenced in this group.  All my
>searches come up empty except for a report on clabi?sp which just uses
>the string.
>
>Thanks,
>Raia
>
>
Sara Bellum