Introduction
The MELD Na (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease with Sodium) score helps doctors measure how sick a patient's liver is. It uses four lab values — creatinine, bilirubin, INR, and sodium — along with dialysis status to produce a score between 6 and 40. A higher score means the liver disease is more severe and the risk of death within 90 days is greater.
Since January 2016, UNOS (the United Network for Organ Sharing) has used the MELD Na score to decide which patients on the liver transplant waiting list should receive an organ first. The original MELD score did not include sodium. Adding sodium made the score better at predicting short-term mortality, especially in patients with low sodium levels caused by advanced liver disease.
This calculator lets you enter lab values, choose your preferred units, and get results right away. It shows your MELD(i) base score, the final MELD Na score, and an estimated 3-month mortality risk. A full step-by-step breakdown of the math and a chart of each component's contribution are also provided so you can see exactly how the score is calculated.
How to Use Our MELD Na Calculator
Enter your liver lab values below to get a MELD Na score, a MELD(i) score, and a 3-month mortality estimate. You need five pieces of information from a recent blood test or medical record.
Dialysis Status: Choose "Yes" if the patient had dialysis two or more times in the past week, or had CVVHD for 24 hours or more in the past week. Choose "No" if neither applies. Picking "Yes" locks creatinine at 4.0 mg/dL.
Creatinine: Type the creatinine level from the blood test. You can switch between mg/dL and µmol/L using the unit buttons. Values above 4.0 mg/dL are capped at 4.0, and values below 1.0 are raised to 1.0. For a deeper look at kidney function, you may also want to use our Creatinine Clearance Calculator or GFR Calculator.
Total Bilirubin: Type the total bilirubin level. You can switch between mg/dL and µmol/L. Values below 1.0 mg/dL are raised to 1.0.
INR: Type the INR value from the coagulation panel. Values below 1.0 are raised to 1.0.
Sodium (Na): Type the sodium level in mEq/L. Values below 125 are raised to 125, and values above 137 are lowered to 137. If you need to assess overall electrolyte balance, our Serum Osmolality Calculator and Anion Gap Calculator can also be helpful.
Press Calculate to see your results. Press Reset to clear all fields and start over. The calculator updates automatically as you type or change any input.
What Is the MELD Na Score?
The MELD Na score stands for Model for End-Stage Liver Disease with Sodium. It is a number that doctors use to measure how sick a person's liver is. The score ranges from 6 to 40. A higher score means the liver disease is more serious.
Why Is the MELD Na Score Important?
Since January 2016, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has used MELD Na to decide who gets a liver transplant first. Patients with higher scores are in greater danger, so they move higher on the transplant waiting list. The score helps predict the chance of dying within 90 days without a transplant.
How Is MELD Na Calculated?
The MELD Na score uses four lab values from a simple blood test:
- Creatinine — shows how well the kidneys are working. For additional renal assessment, see our BUN Creatinine Ratio Calculator.
- Bilirubin — shows how well the liver clears waste from the blood.
- INR (International Normalized Ratio) — shows how well the blood can clot.
- Sodium (Na) — a salt in the blood that often drops when liver disease gets worse.
The calculator also asks if the patient is on dialysis. If the patient had dialysis two or more times in the past week, creatinine is automatically set to 4.0 mg/dL because kidney function is already severely affected.
What Does My Score Mean?
The score gives an estimate of 3-month mortality risk — the chance of dying within 90 days:
- MELD Na ≤ 9: About 1.9% risk. This is low.
- MELD Na 10–19: About 6% risk. This is mild.
- MELD Na 20–29: About 19.6% risk. This is moderate.
- MELD Na 30–39: About 52.6% risk. This is high.
- MELD Na ≥ 40: About 71.3% risk. This is very high.
How Does Sodium Affect the Score?
Low sodium in the blood is common in people with advanced liver disease. It is a sign that the body is holding too much water. Studies showed that adding sodium to the old MELD formula made the score better at predicting outcomes. The sodium adjustment only applies when the base MELD score (called MELD(i)) is greater than 11. Sodium values are clamped between 125 and 137 mEq/L for the calculation.
Important Limits
The MELD Na score is meant for adults and children 12 years and older. For children under 12, doctors use a different score called PELD (Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease). This calculator should not replace advice from a doctor. Always talk to a hepatologist or transplant team about your results. Clinicians assessing liver disease severity may also find our Child Pugh Calculator useful for staging cirrhosis, and the MELD 3.0 Calculator for the latest version of the scoring system. Other related tools include the AST ALT Ratio Calculator for evaluating liver enzyme patterns and the Corrected Calcium Calculator for adjusting calcium levels in patients with liver disease-related hypoalbuminemia.