How do I calculate the MELD score?

You need bilirubin, INR and creatinine; for MELD-Na also sodium. The calculator puts them into the UNOS formula and returns a score from 6 to 40. Enter bilirubin and creatinine in µmol/L — conversion to mg / dL is automatic.

How is MELD-Na different from MELD?

MELD-Na also accounts for blood sodium: low sodium in cirrhosis worsens prognosis. MELD-Na is more accurate and is now used for donor-organ allocation. Sodium is applied when MELD is above 11.

What MELD score is high?

Roughly: 9 and below is low risk, 10–19 moderate, 20–29 high, 30 and above very high. The higher the score, the higher the 3-month mortality and transplant priority.

How does dialysis affect it?

If the patient is on dialysis (≥2×/week), creatinine is taken as 4 mg / dL — this raises the score, reflecting the severity of kidney involvement in liver disease.

Does MELD make a diagnosis?

No. It is a prognostic scale, not a diagnosis. It does not capture all cirrhosis complications, so decisions (including transplant) are made by a doctor from the whole picture.

MELD and MELD-Na calculator (liver disease severity)

MELD is a point-based model of chronic liver disease severity. Enter bilirubin, INR and creatinine (optionally sodium for MELD-Na) — the calculator returns the score and a 3-month prognosis guide. Enter values in µmol/L (as on many lab reports); conversion to mg / dL is automatic. It is a tool for clinicians and understanding, not self-diagnosis.

Calculate the MELD score

Enter bilirubin, INR and creatinine — the score appears instantly.

What the MELD score means (3-month prognosis)

A guide to 3-month mortality in cirrhosis by MELD score (from the model’s original data). Values are approximate and do not replace a doctor’s assessment, the trend and work-up.

MELD score	3-month mortality (guide)
9 and below	≈ 2%
10–19	≈ 6%
20–29	≈ 20%
30–39	≈ 53%
40	≈ 71%

What MELD is

MELD (Model for End-stage Liver Disease) is a numeric scale of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis severity. It is computed from objective labs and reflects the risk of a poor outcome over the coming months.

MELD is used to estimate prognosis and to set the liver-transplant queue: the higher the score, the higher the priority. The final score ranges from 6 to 40.

How it works: formula and units

It uses bilirubin, INR and creatinine: MELD = 3.78·ln(bilirubin) + 11.2·ln(INR) + 9.57·ln(creatinine) + 6.43. Values below 1 mg / dL are set to 1. Creatinine is capped at 4 mg / dL; on dialysis (≥2×/week) it is taken as 4.

Bilirubin and creatinine measured in µmol/L are converted to mg / dL (÷17.1 and ÷88.4). The result is rounded and bounded to 6–40.

MELD-Na: why sodium

Low blood sodium (hyponatremia) in cirrhosis worsens prognosis. So the MELD-Na version adds sodium and predicts outcome better. It is the version now used for organ allocation.

Sodium is applied when MELD is above 11 and bounded to 125–137 mmol / L. Enter sodium and the calculator computes MELD-Na and shows the classic MELD alongside.

What the score is used for

Mainly transplant waiting-list priority and prognosis before operations and procedures. The score is watched over time: a rising MELD is a warning sign.

MELD does not capture everything (e.g. complications like variceal bleeding), so a doctor — not the number alone — makes decisions.

A clinician’s tool, not self-diagnosis

The calculator helps you understand your result and prepare to talk to your doctor. It does not diagnose or set treatment — a hepatologist does, considering the whole picture.

Frequently asked questions

You need bilirubin, INR and creatinine; for MELD-Na also sodium. The calculator puts them into the UNOS formula and returns a score from 6 to 40. Enter bilirubin and creatinine in µmol/L — conversion to mg / dL is automatic.
MELD-Na also accounts for blood sodium: low sodium in cirrhosis worsens prognosis. MELD-Na is more accurate and is now used for donor-organ allocation. Sodium is applied when MELD is above 11.
Roughly: 9 and below is low risk, 10–19 moderate, 20–29 high, 30 and above very high. The higher the score, the higher the 3-month mortality and transplant priority.
If the patient is on dialysis (≥2×/week), creatinine is taken as 4 mg / dL — this raises the score, reflecting the severity of kidney involvement in liver disease.
No. It is a prognostic scale, not a diagnosis. It does not capture all cirrhosis complications, so decisions (including transplant) are made by a doctor from the whole picture.

Bilirubin, INR, creatinine — values from your labs

Upload your report — AI reads liver and kidney values together, links them and explains what to do.

Decode my lab results

This calculator is for reference and information only and is not a diagnosis. Liver disease severity and treatment decisions are determined by a doctor.