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. 2017 Apr 26;18:191. doi: 10.1186/s13063-017-1904-9

Table 4.

Severity categories of adverse events (AEs)

Severity Description
Mild NCI-CTCAE v4.03 grade 1
The AE does not limit daily activities; the patients may experience slight discomfort
Moderate NCI-CTCAE v4.03 grade 2
The AE results in some limitation of daily activities; the patients may experience considerable discomfort
Severe NCI-CTCAE v4.03 grade 3
The AE results in an inability to perform daily activities; the patients may experience intolerable discomfort
Life-threatening/disabling NCI-CTCAE v4.03 grade 4
The AE results in a disabling situation
The AE results in a life-threatening situation
Death NCI-CTCAE v4.03 grade 5

*The term life-threatening in the definition of severe refers to an event, in which the patients are at a risk of death at the time of the event; it does not refer to an event which, hypothetically, might have caused death if it were more severe (ICH-E2A)