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Duke Abdominal Assessment Scale

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Duke Abdominal Assessment Scale, DAAS

  • See Also
  1. Necrotizing Enterocolitis
  2. Newborn Stool Blood
  • Indications
  1. Suspected Necrotizing Enterocolitis in infants
  • Scoring
  • Based on Abdominal Imaging
  1. Non-specific findings
    1. Score 0: Normal Gas Pattern
    2. Score 1: Mild bowel distention
    3. Score 2: Moderate bowel distention (or normal) AND bubbly intraluminal lucencies (probably stool)
    4. Score 3: Focal moderate distention of bowel loops
  2. Ascites, Bowel Wall Thickening or Edema
    1. Score 4: Separation or bowel loop focal thickening
    2. Score 5: Multiple separated bowel loops (or featureless)
  3. Possible bowel necrosis, gas forming organisms
    1. Score 6: Possible pneumatosis (along with other findings above)
    2. Score 7: Bowel loop dilation is persistent or fixed (>24 to 36 hours)
    3. Score 8: Definite pneumatosis (or highly likely)
    4. Score 9: Portal venous gas
    5. Score 10: Pneumoperitoneum (intestinal perforation)
  • Interpretation
  1. Score >=7 predicts high probability of surgical intervention
  • References
  1. Hollingsworth (2010) Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 4(5):569-74 +PMID: 20932142 [PubMed]
  2. Coursey (2009) AJR Am J Roentgenol 193(5):1408-13 +PMID: 19843760 [PubMed]