What Is a MELD Score?

MELD stands for “model for end-stage liver disease.” Doctors use a similar system, called PELD (pediatric end-stage liver disease), for children younger than 12. A MELD score is a number that ranges from 6 to 40, based on lab tests.1

Anyone with a serious liver disease should understand what a MELD score is and how doctors arrive at this important number. If you are a candidate for a liver transplant, a MELD score helps determine how urgently you need a transplant.

What Does MELD Score Mean?

The MELD score estimates a patient’s chances of surviving their disease during the next three months. Organ allocation is determined by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Livers from deceased donors are allocated to the sickest patients first.

MELD Score Range

The MELD score ranges from six to 40 and is based on results from several lab tests. The higher the number, the more likely you are to receive a liver from a deceased donor when an organ becomes available.

Liver Transplant Waiting List: Additional Considerations

Your MELD score is a prime indicator in determining how urgently you need a transplant. But, it isn’t the only factor. Other considerations include:

Your blood type
Your body size relative to the donor’s
Geographical considerations (i.e. how close you are to the donor liver)
Current supply of, and demand for, deceased donor livers

Living-Donor Liver Transplant for Patients with a Low MELD Score

While patients with a MELD score less than 15 are often not listed for a liver transplant because their chance of receiving a liver through traditional allocation is so low, a living-donor liver transplant offers a life-saving option and the opportunity to receive a transplant sooner. By exploring a living donor transplant, patients with a low MELD score can still be considered for a liver transplant.

Patients with a low MELD score should still be considered for a liver transplant since a significant number of patients are much sicker than what their MELD score can represent. Living-donor liver transplant can be a life-saving option to this subset of patients who otherwise cannot get a deceased donor liver transplant with the UNOS MELD score allocation.

How Is Your MELD Score Calculated?

Your MELD score is based on results from four blood tests that, together, show how well your body is functioning. You will be tested for:

INR (internal normalized ratio): Indicates whether your liver is making the proteins necessary for blood to clot
Creatinine: Indicates how well your kidneys are working
Bilirubin: Indicates how well your liver is clearing a substance called bile
Serum sodium: Indicates how well your body is regulating fluid balance2

References

https://webmd.com/hepatitis/meld-score-for-liver-disease
https://www.upmc.com/services/transplant/liver/process/waiting-list/meld-score

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to take the place of consultation with your physician.