organ dysfunction

The PRISM (Pediatric Risk of Mortality) score is a validated severity-of-illness scoring system designed for pediatric patients (newborn to 18 years) in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Developed in 1988 and refined in subsequent iterations (PRISM III and PRISM IV), it quantifies disease severity and predicts hospital mortality risk based on physiological and laboratory data collected within the first 24 hours of PICU admission. PRISM is widely used to assess critically ill children, excluding premature neonates in neonatal ICUs (NICUs), where scores like CRIB II or SNAP-II are preferred.

The APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) score is a widely used severity-of-illness scoring system designed for adult patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Developed in 1985, it quantifies disease severity and predicts hospital mortality risk based on physiological measurements, age, and chronic health status. The score is calculated within the first 24 hours of ICU admission and is applicable across a broad range of adult critical care conditions. It is a cornerstone tool for risk stratification, quality assessment, and research in ICUs.