IPSS (BPH symptom score)
International Prostate Symptom Score — 7 items 0–5.
What it is for
Male LUTS severity and monitoring.
Use the working calculator
The working IPSS (BPH symptom score) 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 7 items.
Over the past month, how often:
- 1. Incomplete emptyingOptions: Not at all; < 1/5; < ½; ≈ ½; > ½; Almost always
- 2. Frequency (< 2 h apart)Options: Not at all; < 1/5; < ½; ≈ ½; > ½; Almost always
- 3. IntermittencyOptions: Not at all; < 1/5; < ½; ≈ ½; > ½; Almost always
- 4. UrgencyOptions: Not at all; < 1/5; < ½; ≈ ½; > ½; Almost always
- 5. Weak streamOptions: Not at all; < 1/5; < ½; ≈ ½; > ½; Almost always
- 6. StrainingOptions: Not at all; < 1/5; < ½; ≈ ½; > ½; Almost always
- 7. Nocturia — times per nightOptions: None; 1; 2; 3; 4; ≥ 5
How the result is read
The result is shown as IPSS, out of a maximum of 35.
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 7 | Mild | Watchful waiting + lifestyle advice. Reduce caffeine / evening fluids. |
| 8 to 19 | Moderate | Moderate symptom band. Management options are set out in the male LUTS protocol and NICE CG97. |
| 20 to 35 | Severe | Severe symptom band. See the male LUTS protocol and NICE CG97. |
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.