Table 1.

Characteristics of an optimal descriptor of organ dysfunction

Specific for the function of the organ system of interest

Comprehensive measure of function in that system

Sensitive to clinically important change in function

Recognizable to clinician

Increasing abnormality associated with increasing risk of adverse outcome

Not readily reversed by resuscitation

Objective

Measure of physiologic derangement, rather than treatment decision

Reliably, readily, and reproducibly measured

Inexpensive

Abnormal in one direction only

Single, continuous variable

Adapted from [4].