This ABCD2 score calculator estimates stroke risk after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) from Age, Blood pressure, Clinical features, Duration and Diabetes — returning the published 2-day and 7-day stroke risks that drive same-day workup decisions.



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The TIA Score Built Around the Dangerous First 48 Hours

The chronic AF cousin is our CHA2DS2-VASc Calculator. Part of our Health Calculators collection.

Worked Example

  • 68-year-old diabetic, BP 150/95, 90 minutes of unilateral arm weakness: age (1) + BP (1) + weakness (2) + duration ≥ 60 (2) + diabetes (1) = score 7 → HIGH: ≈ 8.1% stroke risk within 2 days, 11.7% within 7 — same-day everything
  • The 48-hour concentration is the score's whole thesis: risk after TIA is front-loaded, with roughly half of early strokes arriving within two days — urgency is arithmetic, not anxiety
  • A low score's ceiling: 0–3 still carries ~1 in 100 two-day strokes, and says nothing about the carotid bruit or new AF waiting on the workup — disposition debates never outrank investigation

Score Discipline

  • ABCD2 was derived before diffusion MRI; ABCD3-I adds imaging (DWI lesion, carotid stenosis, AF) for finer stratification in specialist settings.
  • Weakness (2) outranks isolated speech disturbance (1) — cortical + motor involvement signals larger-territory events in the derivation data.
  • Duration uses the TOTAL symptomatic episode at presentation, and the BP is the first recorded at evaluation — chart-mining for friendlier numbers breaks the model.
  • TIA mimics (migraine aura, seizure, hypoglycemia) are common: the score applies AFTER the TIA diagnosis is clinically entertained, not as a diagnostic test itself.

Related Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the ABCD2 score calculated?

Age ≥ 60 (1) + BP ≥ 140/90 (1) + Clinical features — unilateral weakness (2) or speech disturbance alone (1) + Duration — ≥ 60 min (2) or 10–59 min (1) + Diabetes (1). Total 0–7. This calculator sums them and reports the published early-stroke risks per risk band.

What stroke risk follows each ABCD2 score?

Pooled validation (Johnston 2007): scores 0–3 (low) → 1.0% at 2 days, 1.2% at 7 days; 4–5 (moderate) → 4.1% and 5.9%; 6–7 (high) → 8.1% and 11.7%. Contemporary urgently-treated cohorts may do better; the bands still structure triage.

Does a low ABCD2 score mean a TIA can wait?

Current guidelines: no. Urgent (same-day) assessment is recommended for all suspected TIA because the score misses mechanism — large-artery stenosis and AF discovered on workup carry risk the score never saw. Low ABCD2 historically supported outpatient pathways in some systems, always with expedited imaging.

What is ABCD3-I?

An extension adding imaging and history findings — prior TIA within a week (dual TIA), ipsilateral carotid stenosis ≥ 50%, and DWI lesion on MRI — reaching 13 points with tighter risk discrimination. It requires imaging results, so ABCD2 remains the front-door score.

Which clinical feature scores highest?

Unilateral weakness and long duration (≥ 60 minutes) at 2 points each — motor involvement and persistence carried the strongest early-stroke association in the derivation cohorts, ahead of speech disturbance (1) and the binary items (1 each).

Is this ABCD2 calculator medical advice?

No — an educational implementation of a published score. A suspected TIA is a medical emergency: seek immediate care; do not score yourself at home and wait.