What is the Glasgow Alcoholic Hepatitis Score?

GAHS is a 5-variable clinical scoring system developed to predict 28-day and 84-day survival in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. It uses age, BUN, PT ratio, bilirubin, and WBC. Age, BUN, and WBC score 1–2 while PT ratio and bilirubin score 1–3, giving a total of 5–12.

What score threshold indicates poor prognosis?

A GAHS ≥9 is associated with poor 28-day survival (roughly 52% without treatment) and is generally used as the cutoff to consider corticosteroid therapy such as prednisolone.

How does GAHS compare to Maddrey's Discriminant Function?

Both tools predict short-term mortality in alcoholic hepatitis, but GAHS uses five variables and was specifically validated against a UK cohort. Studies suggest GAHS may have better specificity for identifying patients unlikely to benefit from steroids.

What units does this calculator use?

BUN is in mmol/L (SI units), bilirubin in µmol/L, and WBC in ×10⁹/L. PT ratio is unitless (patient PT ÷ control PT). Convert from mg/dL if needed: BUN mmol/L = mg/dL × 0.357; bilirubin µmol/L = mg/dL × 17.1.

Is this tool a substitute for clinical judgment?

No. GAHS is a clinical aid, not a definitive treatment guide. Always interpret results in the context of the full clinical picture and current guidelines.

Glasgow Alcoholic Hepatitis Score Calculator

Name: Glasgow Alcoholic Hepatitis Score Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter five clinical values to calculate GAHS and get a 28-day survival estimate for alcoholic hepatitis.

Patient Values

Age (years)

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) (mmol/L)

mg/dL → mmol/L: multiply by 0.357

PT Ratio (patient PT ÷ control PT)

Serum Bilirubin (µmol/L)

mg/dL → µmol/L: multiply by 17.1

WBC Count (×10⁹/L)

Result

—

GAHS Total

Variable	Value	Points

Scoring Criteria

Variable	1 pt	2 pts	3 pts
Age (years)	<50	≥50	—
BUN (mmol/L)	<5	≥5	—
PT Ratio	<1.5	1.5–2.0	>2.0
Bilirubin (µmol/L)	<125	125–250	>250
WBC (×10⁹/L)	<15	≥15	—

Score range: 5–12. A score ≥9 predicts poor 28-day survival (~52%) and supports consideration of corticosteroid therapy.

Survival Reference (Forrest et al., 2005)

GAHS	28-day survival	84-day survival
<9	87%	79%
≥9	52%	38%

Summary

Enter five clinical values to calculate GAHS and get a 28-day survival estimate for alcoholic hepatitis.

How it works

Enter the patient age in years.
Enter blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in mmol/L.
Enter the PT ratio (patient PT divided by control PT).
Enter serum bilirubin in µmol/L.
Enter white blood cell count (WBC) in ×10⁹/L.
The score is computed instantly; score ≥9 suggests corticosteroid therapy.

Use cases

Assess 28-day mortality risk in patients admitted with alcoholic hepatitis.
Identify candidates for corticosteroid therapy (GAHS ≥9).
Triage severity in emergency or hepatology settings.
Support clinical decision-making alongside Maddrey Discriminant Function.
Track score changes over the first days of admission.
Educate medical students on prognostic scoring in liver disease.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-22 · Reviewed by Nham Vu