Addendum 1: Charlson Comorbidity Index
The Charlson Index was developed in 1987 and is based on 1-year mortality data from internal medicine patients admitted to a single New York Hospital. It was initially validated in a cohort of breast cancer patients. The index encompasses 19 medical conditions weighted 1–6 with total scores ranging from 0–37. In the development phase of the index, mortality for each disease was converted to a rel
The Charlson Index was developed in 1987 and is based on 1-year mortality data from internal medicine patients admitted to a single New York Hospital. It was initially validated in a cohort of breast cancer patients. The index encompasses 19 medical conditions weighted 1–6 with total scores ranging from 0–37. In the development phase of the index, mortality for each disease was converted to a relative risk of death within 12 months. A weight was then assigned to each condition based on the relative risk (RR); for example, RR <1.2 = weight 0; RR ≥1.2 < 1.5 = weight 1; RR ≥1.5 < 2.5 = weight 2; RR ≥2.5 < 3.5 = weight 3; and for 2 conditions (metastatic solid tumour and AIDS) = weight 6 (70).
| Comorbidity | Score |
| Prior myocardial infarction | 1 |
| Congestive heart failure | 1 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 1 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 1 |
| Dementia | 1 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 1 |
| Rheumatologic disease | 1 |
| Peptic ulcer disease | 1 |
| Mild liver disease | 1 |
| Diabetes | 1 |
| Cerebrovascular (hemiplegia) event | 2 |
| Moderate-to-severe renal disease | 2 |
| Diabetes with chronic complications | 2 |
| Cancer without metastases | 2 |
| Leukemia | 2 |
| Lymphoma | 2 |
| Moderate or severe liver disease | 3 |
| Metastatic solid tumor | 6 |
| Acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) | 6 |
Wearne, N., Krause, R., Davidson, B., and Brennan, F., 2020. Renal palliative and supportive care in South Africa – A consensus statement. African Journal of Nephrology, 23(1), pp.86-107.