Ranson Criteria for Pancreatitis

Check which of the 11 Ranson criteria are present (5 at admission, 6 at 48 hours) to instantly score acute pancreatitis severity and estimate mortality risk.

Use the Ranson Criteria for Pancreatitis

For educational use only. Not a substitute for clinical judgment. All pancreatitis management decisions must be made by qualified clinicians based on full patient assessment.

At Admission — 5 Criteria

Check each criterion present at the time of hospital admission.

At 48 Hours — 6 Criteria

Check each criterion present 48 hours after admission.

Ranson Score

0
out of 11 total criteria
Mild — Low Risk

Estimated mortality: < 1%

Criteria Breakdown

Admission criteria
5 criteria
0
48-hour criteria
6 criteria
0

Management Guidance

    Score Interpretation & Mortality Risk

    0 – 2
    Mild
    < 1% mortality
    Low risk. Standard ward care.
    3 – 4
    Moderate
    ~15% mortality
    Significant risk. Stepdown or HDU.
    5 – 6
    Severe
    ~40% mortality
    High risk. ICU admission warranted.
    7 – 11
    Critical
    > 99% mortality
    Critical. Intensive intervention required.

    Summary

    The Ranson Criteria is a validated bedside scoring system developed in 1974 to predict the severity and mortality of acute pancreatitis. It uses 11 clinical and laboratory variables: 5 measured at hospital admission (age, white blood cell count, blood glucose, serum LDH, and AST) and 6 measured 48 hours after admission (hematocrit fall, BUN rise, serum calcium, arterial PaO2, base deficit, and estimated fluid sequestration). Each criterion present scores 1 point for a maximum total of 11. A score of 3 or more indicates severe disease; higher scores correlate with sharply rising mortality. The score guides triage, ICU admission decisions, and early resource allocation.

    How it works

    1. At admission, check each of the 5 criteria that apply to the patient.
    2. At 48 hours after admission, check each of the 6 criteria that are present.
    3. Each checked criterion adds 1 point to the Ranson score.
    4. The calculator totals all checked criteria and displays the score.
    5. Read the severity band: 0–2 mild (<1% mortality), 3–4 moderate (~15%), 5–6 severe (~40%), 7–11 critical (>99%).
    6. Use the result alongside clinical judgment to guide ICU admission and management decisions.

    Use cases

    • Triage patients admitted with acute pancreatitis to appropriate level of care.
    • Support decisions about ICU versus ward admission based on predicted severity.
    • Communicate disease severity to consulting surgical or gastroenterology teams.
    • Identify patients at high risk for complications who need aggressive fluid resuscitation.
    • Reassess severity at 48 hours to detect deterioration not apparent at presentation.
    • Serve as an educational reference for medical students and residents learning pancreatitis scoring.
    • Complement imaging (CT severity index) in assessing risk of pancreatic necrosis.
    • Document admission severity for audit, quality improvement, and research purposes.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu