CHALICE Score Calculator

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CHALICE Rule Calculator

Paediatric head injury

CHALICE Rule Calculator

Predicts clinically important events after head trauma in children, including death, need for neurosurgical intervention, or an abnormal head CT.

Clinical use: Intended for healthcare professionals assessing a child younger than 16 years with a history or signs of head injury. This tool supports—not replaces—urgent clinical assessment, local policy, and specialist judgement.

1 Patient details

Age determines the GCS threshold and whether the infant scalp-injury criterion applies.

CHALICE is intended for children under 16 years.

Enter the assessed GCS score.

Enter age to display the applicable threshold.

2 History

Select every criterion that is present.

3 Examination

The GCS criterion is calculated automatically from the age and GCS entered above.

4 Mechanism of injury

Select every high-risk mechanism that applies.

CHALICE result

Interpretation: CHALICE is a binary decision rule rather than a point score. One or more positive criteria makes the rule positive.

Safety: A negative rule does not exclude every possible injury. Reassess if symptoms evolve or the child deteriorates, and follow local paediatric head-injury guidance.

Reference: Dunning J, Daly JP, Lomas JP, et al. Derivation of the children’s head injury algorithm for the prediction of important clinical events decision rule for head injury in children. Arch Dis Child. 2006;91(11):885–891. View original study.

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