ABCD₂ (TIA stroke risk)
Risk of stroke after TIA within 7 days.
What it is for
Historical, for education only. NICE NG128: do not use a risk score such as ABCD² to decide urgency. Suspected TIA within the last 7 days → specialist assessment within 24 hours of symptom onset; TIA more than 7 days ago → specialist assessment as soon as possible, within 7 days.
Use the working calculator
The working ABCD₂ (TIA stroke risk) calculator is on our calculators page. It is free and needs no account. Enter the values and it shows the result with the reading that goes with it.
The calculators are free. The trial opens the protocols and pathways they link to.What you enter
The calculator asks for 5 items.
- Age ≥ 60 (1 point)
- BP ≥ 140/90 at presentation (1 point)
- Clinical featuresOptions: Other; Speech disturbance only; Unilateral weakness
- DurationOptions: < 10 min; 10–59 min; ≥ 60 min
- Diabetes mellitus (1 point)
How the result is read
The result is shown as ABCD² score, out of a maximum of 7.
The calculator reads each total as follows. Where a single answer changes the reading (for example sex, age or one extreme value), the working calculator says so.
| Total | Band | What the calculator says |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 | "Lower" risk | Regardless of score (NICE NG128): suspected TIA in the last 7 days → specialist assessment within 24 hours of symptom onset; TIA more than 7 days ago → specialist assessment as soon as possible, within 7 days. Do not use ABCD² to decide urgency. Historical 2-day stroke risk ~1%. A low score does not make a TIA low risk — NICE NG128 advises against using risk scores to triage. |
| 4 to 5 | "Moderate" risk | Regardless of score (NICE NG128): suspected TIA in the last 7 days → specialist assessment within 24 hours of symptom onset; TIA more than 7 days ago → specialist assessment as soon as possible, within 7 days. Do not use ABCD² to decide urgency. Historical 2-day stroke risk ~4%. |
| 6 to 7 | "High" risk | Regardless of score (NICE NG128): suspected TIA in the last 7 days → specialist assessment within 24 hours of symptom onset; TIA more than 7 days ago → specialist assessment as soon as possible, within 7 days. Do not use ABCD² to decide urgency. Historical 2-day stroke risk ~8%. |
Sources
These are the sources the calculator cites. Check the current version before relying on a threshold.
Related
For qualified clinicians. A score supports a clinical decision and does not make it: check the inputs, read the cited source, and use the tools in your clinical system for patient care where one is provided.