MELD

Medical abbreviation · Gastroenterology

MELD
Stands forModel for End-Stage Liver Disease
CategoriesMedical

MELD stands for Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, a gastroenterology abbreviation.

Scoring system that predicts three-month mortality in chronic liver disease from bilirubin, INR, creatinine and, in later versions, sodium and albumin. Scores run from 6 to 40, and in the US they set priority on the liver transplant waiting list.

Example: MELD-Na 24; referral to transplant hepatology and listing evaluation.

Usage notes

Originally developed at the Mayo Clinic to predict survival after TIPS and adopted for US liver allocation in 2002. MELD-Na added sodium in 2016, and MELD 3.0, introduced in 2023, adds albumin and sex to reduce a disadvantage faced by women. Pronounced "meld" as a word. Children under 12 use the related PELD score.

More gastroenterology abbreviations

  • IPAA – Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis
  • LBO – Large bowel obstruction
  • LES – Lower esophageal sphincter
  • LGIB – Lower gastrointestinal bleeding
  • MASH – Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis
  • MASLD – Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
  • MetALD – Metabolic and alcohol-related liver disease
  • MRCP – Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
  • mt-sDNA – Multitarget stool DNA test
  • N/V – Nausea and vomiting
  • NAFLD – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
  • NASH – Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

See all 85 gastroenterology abbreviations →

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.