Evidence based scoring system

Evidence-Based Scoring System

This is the first time that the American College of Cardiology/

American Heart Association evidence-based scoring system (see

http://circ.ahajournals.org/manual/manual_IIstep6.shtml) has

been incorporated into the AHA’s endocarditis treatment guidelines. The purpose of the scoring system is to assist the clinician

in interpreting these recommendations and formulating treatment decisions. The system is based on both a classification of

recommendations and the level of evidence. Each treatment

recommendation has been assigned a class and a level of

evidence. The use of this system should support but not supplant

the clinician’s decision making in the management of individual

patients’ cases.

Classification of Recommendations

Class I: Conditions for which there is evidence, general

agreement, or both that a given procedure or treatment is

useful and effective.

Class II: Conditions for which there is conflicting evidence, a

divergence of opinion, or both about the usefulness/

efficacy of a procedure or treatment.

Class IIa: Weight of evidence/opinion is in favor of

usefulness/efficacy.

Class IIb: Usefulness/efficacy is less well established by

evidence/opinion.

Class III: Conditions for which there is evidence, general

agreement, or both that the procedure/treatment is not

useful/effective and in some cases may be harmful.

Level of Evidence

Level of Evidence A: Data derived from multiple randomized

clinical trials

Level of Evidence B: Data derived from a single randomized

trial or nonrandomized studies

Level of Evidence C: Consensus opinion of experts