2-day stroke risk after TIA. Free to use.
ABCD2 (ABCD² Score for TIA) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 2-day stroke risk after tia. The instrument contains 5 items.
Source / attribution: Johnston SC et al., Lancet 2007
Like all screening or assessment instruments, ABCD2 is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 5 items below to see your ABCD2 score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 3-point scale (0–2). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
ABCD2 uses weighted summation: each item carries a fixed weight that is added when the response indicates a positive finding.
Scoring notes: Educational use only.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | Low risk | Low risk. |
| 4–5 | Moderate risk | Moderate — admit for workup. |
| 6–7 | High risk | High — urgent admission. |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Mark each item Yes or No. Each "Yes" adds the item's weight; each "No" adds 0. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Age ≥ 60 | Yes | 1 |
| 2 | Blood pressure ≥ 140/90 at presentation | Yes | 1 |
| 3 | Clinical features | Speech disturbance without weakness | 1 |
| 4 | Duration of symptoms | 10–59 min | 1 |
| 5 | Diabetes | Yes | 1 |
Add the weights from the items where you marked "Yes" (skip the "No" answers — they contribute 0).
1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 5 falls between 4 and 5 → Moderate risk
Moderate risk. 2-day stroke risk ~4.1%.
A score is one input alongside history and examination. ABCD2 supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
If ABCD2 doesn't fit your context, related instruments in neurology include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
| MoCA | Cognitive screening | — | ≈ 10 minutes |
| mRS | Functional outcome after stroke | 1 | — |
| NIHSS (Lite) | Stroke severity | 13 | — |
| APGAR Score | Rapid assessment of newborn at 1 and 5 min | 5 | — |
| ASA Physical Status | Pre-operative health status | 1 | — |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| CURB-65 | 30-day mortality in community-acquired pneumonia | 5 | — |
ABCD2 (ABCD² Score for TIA) is a validated instrument that assesses 2-day stroke risk after TIA. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. The 5 items are combined to produce a total score.
ABCD2 contains 5 items. Item scores are combined with weighted scoring to produce the total. Scores run from 0 to 7, grouped into 3 interpretation bands from ‘Low risk’ up to ‘High risk’.
On the ABCD2 (total score 0–7), scores of 6–7 fall in the ‘High risk’ band — interpreted as: High — urgent admission. The full ladder is: 0–3 — Low risk: Low risk.; 4–5 — Moderate risk: Moderate — admit for workup.; 6–7 — High risk: High — urgent admission. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 0–3 fall in the ‘Low risk’ band: Low risk. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
Yes — ABCD2 is in the public domain and free for clinical, educational, and research use without permission. You can use this calculator and the scale itself freely; if you publish results or reproduce the scale, cite the original source paper.
Johnston SC et al. Lancet. 2007;369(9558):283-292. This is the original publication for the ABCD2 — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. ABCD2 is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of 2-day stroke risk after TIA — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
ABCD2 is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: