🫁 ARISCAT Score (Postoperative Pulmonary Complications)
Predict postoperative pulmonary complications with the ARISCAT score.
Clinical takeaway
Age is the strongest predictor.
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When to use
Identify high-risk non-cardiac surgery patients for prevention.
How it works
Seven items (age, SpO₂, recent respiratory infection, anemia, incision site, duration, emergency). < 26 low (≈ 1.6%), 26–44 intermediate (≈ 13.3%), ≥ 45 high (≈ 42.1%).
Key points
- Age is the strongest predictor.
- High scores warrant lung-protective ventilation and respiratory rehab.
- Applies to non-cardiac surgery.
References
Decision support for licensed clinicians only; not a substitute for clinical judgement, diagnosis or local protocols.
Worked calculation
The values below come from this tool's own example placeholders and are computed server-side with the formula shown on this page, so the arithmetic can be checked quickly. It demonstrates how to substitute values only — it is not clinical advice and not a real case.
| Age | ≤ 50 y (0) |
|---|---|
| Preoperative SpO₂ (room air) | ≥ 96% (0) |
| Respiratory infection in the last month | No (0) |
| Preoperative anemia (Hb ≤ 10 g/dL) | No (0) |
| Surgical incision site | Peripheral (0) |
| Duration of surgery | < 2 h (0) |
| Emergency procedure | No (0) |
→ARISCAT0
- Band：0 → Low (< 26 low ≈ 1.6%, 26–44 intermediate ≈ 13.3%, ≥ 45 high ≈ 42.1% in-hospital pulmonary complications)
- Action：Low: routine perioperative respiratory care
- Complications：Postoperative pulmonary complications include respiratory infection, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, atelectasis, pneumothorax, bronchospasm and aspiration pneumonitis
| Age | > 80 y (16) |
|---|---|
| Preoperative SpO₂ (room air) | ≤ 90% (24) |
| Respiratory infection in the last month | Yes (17) |
| Preoperative anemia (Hb ≤ 10 g/dL) | Yes (11) |
| Surgical incision site | Intrathoracic (24) |
| Duration of surgery | > 3 h (23) |
| Emergency procedure | Yes (8) |
→ARISCAT123
- Band：123 → High (< 26 low ≈ 1.6%, 26–44 intermediate ≈ 13.3%, ≥ 45 high ≈ 42.1% in-hospital pulmonary complications)
- Action：High: optimize preoperatively (smoking cessation, treat infection/anemia, respiratory training), intraoperative lung-protective ventilation, intensive postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation (early mobilization, incentive spirometry, NIV if needed)
- Complications：Postoperative pulmonary complications include respiratory infection, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, atelectasis, pneumothorax, bronchospasm and aspiration pneumonitis
Frequently asked questions
- What is ARISCAT Score (Postoperative Pulmonary Complications)?
- Predict postoperative pulmonary complications with the ARISCAT score.
- How is ARISCAT Score (Postoperative Pulmonary Complications) calculated? What is the core formula?
- Seven items (age, SpO₂, recent respiratory infection, anemia, incision site, duration, emergency). < 26 low (≈ 1.6%), 26–44 intermediate (≈ 13.3%), ≥ 45 high (≈ 42.1%).
- When is ARISCAT Score (Postoperative Pulmonary Complications) used?
- Identify high-risk non-cardiac surgery patients for prevention.
- What are the key clinical points for ARISCAT Score (Postoperative Pulmonary Complications)?
- Age is the strongest predictor. High scores warrant lung-protective ventilation and respiratory rehab. Applies to non-cardiac surgery.
- What are the limits and cautions when using ARISCAT Score (Postoperative Pulmonary Complications)?
- For licensed clinicians and clinical researchers. Interpret results with history, investigations and local protocols; not a diagnosis or prescription, and not a substitute for multidisciplinary decision-making or local guidelines.
- How is ARISCAT Score (Postoperative Pulmonary Complications) calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
- Inputs: Age ≤ 50 y (0), Preoperative SpO₂ (room air) ≥ 96% (0), Respiratory infection in the last month No (0), Preoperative anemia (Hb ≤ 10 g/dL) No (0), Surgical incision site Peripheral (0), Duration of surgery < 2 h (0), Emergency procedure No (0) → Result: ARISCAT 0（Band: 0 → Low (< 26 low ≈ 1.6%, 26–44 intermediate ≈ 13.3%, ≥ 45 high ≈ 42.1% in-hospital pulmonary complications), Action: Low: routine perioperative respiratory care, Complications: Postoperative pulmonary complications include respiratory infection, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, atelectasis, pneumothorax, bronchospasm and aspiration pneumonitis） Inputs: Age > 80 y (16), Preoperative SpO₂ (room air) ≤ 90% (24), Respiratory infection in the last month Yes (17), Preoperative anemia (Hb ≤ 10 g/dL) Yes (11), Surgical incision site Intrathoracic (24), Duration of surgery > 3 h (23), Emergency procedure Yes (8) → Result: ARISCAT 123（Band: 123 → High (< 26 low ≈ 1.6%, 26–44 intermediate ≈ 13.3%, ≥ 45 high ≈ 42.1% in-hospital pulmonary complications), Action: High: optimize preoperatively (smoking cessation, treat infection/anemia, respiratory training), intraoperative lung-protective ventilation, intensive postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation (early mobilization, incentive spirometry, NIV if needed), Complications: Postoperative pulmonary complications include respiratory infection, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, atelectasis, pneumothorax, bronchospasm and aspiration pneumonitis）