3 calculators

3 Neurology Calculators – NIHSS, ABCD² & Hunt-Hess

Neurology calculators cover stroke severity, transient-ischemic-attack risk-factor scoring, and subarachnoid-hemorrhage grading. Each belongs to a distinct disease and assessment context.

Each result remains tied to its documented stroke, TIA, or aneurysmal subarachnoid-hemorrhage context.

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Which tool fits this task?

Compare the purpose, inputs, and returned measure before opening a calculator. These distinctions describe tool scope; they do not make a diagnosis or choose treatment.

Stroke, TIA, and subarachnoid-hemorrhage tools

These tools answer different neurologic questions and should be matched to the documented disease context.

NIHSS Calculator (NIH Stroke Scale)

Use when: Record the NIH Stroke Scale components for structured stroke-deficit scoring.
Inputs: The 15 documented NIHSS items.
Returns: A NIHSS total and item audit.
Distinction: NIHSS describes selected deficits and does not replace a complete neurologic examination.

ABCD² Score (TIA)

Use when: Calculate the historical ABCD² score in its post-TIA risk-factor context.
Inputs: Age, blood pressure, clinical features, duration, and diabetes inputs.
Returns: An ABCD² point total with historical cohort bands.
Distinction: It is not a stroke diagnosis, disposition rule, or NIHSS substitute.

Hunt-Hess Scale (SAH)

Use when: Assign the documented Hunt–Hess grade in its aneurysmal subarachnoid-hemorrhage context.
Inputs: One explicitly selected Grade I–V presentation.
Returns: A neutral Hunt–Hess grade.
Distinction: It does not establish SAH or automate prognosis, treatment, or grade inference.

Choose a calculator by task

Use the task groups below to find the calculator whose formula, intended population, required measurements, and purpose match the task.

Stroke and transient ischemic attack

Use NIHSS for structured stroke-deficit scoring or ABCD² for its limited post-TIA risk-factor model after the clinical context is established.

NIHSS Calculator (NIH Stroke Scale)Calculate the standard adult NIH Stroke Scale from all 15 scored entries, with permitted untestable-item documentation and complete item-level results.ABCD² Score (TIA)Calculate the standard 0–7 ABCD² score from age, initial blood pressure, clinical features, symptom duration and diabetes, with component-level results and modern triage limitations.

Subarachnoid-hemorrhage grading

Use Hunt-Hess only for its stated aneurysmal subarachnoid-hemorrhage clinical grading context.

Hunt-Hess Scale (SAH)Assign the standard five-grade Hunt–Hess clinical category for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage from the documented presentation, with exact criteria and neutral limitations.

Match the score to the neurologic context

Match NIHSS, ABCD², or Hunt-Hess to its specific stroke, TIA, or subarachnoid-hemorrhage context.
Use NIHSS as a structured deficit score without substituting it for a complete neurologic examination.
Open Emergency Medicine & Critical Care for GCS and RASS rather than copying those instruments into this category.

Important limits

ABCD² cannot diagnose TIA or independently determine investigation, admission, or discharge.
NIHSS may not capture every clinically important neurologic deficit or posterior-circulation presentation.
Hunt-Hess does not establish subarachnoid hemorrhage and does not select treatment.

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