Calculation and comparison of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score in patients accepted for liver transplantation in 1999 and 2004.

There has been a need to assess the "sickness degree" in patients with acute and chronic hepatic failure. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was developed as a tool for a more objective estimate of the "degree" of sickness in patients with chronic liver disease. In this study, the MELD score was retrospectively calculated and compared in adult patients accepted for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in our institution in 1999 and 2004. We analyzed the gender, age, and MELD score associated with different indications for OLT during this period.