From: A robust scoring system to evaluate sepsis severity in an animal model
Variable | Score and description |
---|---|
Appearance | 0- Coat is smooth |
1- Patches of hair piloerected | |
2- Majority of back is piloerected | |
3- Piloerection may or may not be present, mouse appears “puffy” | |
4- Piloerection may or may not be present, mouse appears emaciated | |
Level of consciousness | 0- Mouse is active |
1- Mouse is active but avoids standing upright | |
2- Mouse activity is noticeably slowed. The mouse is still ambulant. | |
3- Activity is impaired. Mouse only moves when provoked, movements have a tremor | |
4- Activity severely impaired. Mouse remains stationary when provoked, with possible tremor | |
Activity | 0- Normal amount of activity. Mouse is any of: eating, drinking, climbing, running, fighting |
1- Slightly suppressed activity. Mouse is moving around bottom of cage | |
2- Suppressed activity. Mouse is stationary with occasional investigative movements | |
3- No activity. Mouse is stationary | |
4- No activity. Mouse experiencing tremors, particularly in the hind legs | |
Response to stimulus | 0- Mouse responds immediately to auditory stimulus or touch |
1- Slow or no response to auditory stimulus; strong response to touch (moves to escape) | |
2- No response to auditory stimulus; moderate response to touch (moves a few steps) | |
3- No response to auditory stimulus; mild response to touch (no locomotion) | |
4- No response to auditory stimulus. Little or no response to touch. Cannot right itself if pushed over | |
Eyes | 0- Open |
1- Eyes not fully open, possibly with secretions | |
2- Eyes at least half closed, possibly with secretions | |
3- Eyes half closed or more, possibly with secretions | |
4- Eyes closed or milky | |
Respiration rate | 0- Normal, rapid mouse respiration |
1- Slightly decreased respiration (rate not quantifiable by eye) | |
2- Moderately reduced respiration (rate at the upper range of quantifying by eye) | |
3- Severely reduced respiration (rate easily countable by eye, 0.5 s between breaths) | |
4- Extremely reduced respiration (>1 s between breaths) | |
Respiration quality | 0- Normal |
1- Brief periods of laboured breathing | |
2- Laboured, no gasping | |
3- Laboured with intermittent gasps | |
4- Gasping |