The Cardiovascular
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Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI)

Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI)
Abdominal pain (past week)
Stools (past week)
General well-being (past week)
Usual (baseline) weight
Current weight
Height velocity (growth chart)
Abdominal exam
Perirectal disease
Extraintestinal manifestations (fever >=38.5C x3 days, arthritis, uveitis, erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum)
Age
years
Sex
Hematocrit
%
ESR
mm/hr
Albumin
Complete the fields above to see the result.

When to use

  • Grading disease activity and monitoring treatment response in children and adolescents with known Crohn's disease.

Formula

Weighted sum of symptom, exam, growth, and laboratory items (weight loss %, age/sex-specific hematocrit, ESR, albumin). Range 0-100. <=10 remission, 11-30 mild, >30 moderate-to-severe.

Pearls and pitfalls

  • Weight, hematocrit, and ESR items require a recent baseline for comparison — apparent stability can mask early relapse.
  • A revised (weighted) PCDAI exists but this reproduces the original 1991 index.

References

  1. Hyams JS, Ferry GD, Mandel FS, et al. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1991;12(4):439-47.