Comparison of different severity scores in correlating hemoglobin levels with the severity of hepatic decompensation: An observational study

BACKGROUND Chronic liver disease is a growing global health problem,leading to hepatic decompensation characterized by an array of clinical and biochemical complic-ations.Several scoring systems have been introduced in assessing the severity of hepatic decompensation with the most frequent ones are Child-Pugh score,model of end-stage liver disease(MELD)score,and MELD-Na score.Anemia is frequently observed in cirrhotic patients and is linked to worsened clinical outcomes.Although studies have explored anemia in liver disease,few have investigated the correlation of hemoglobin level with the severity of hepatic decompensation.AIM To determine the relationship between hemoglobin levels and the severity of decompensated liver disease and comparing the strength of this correlation using the Child-Pugh,MELD,and MELD-Na scores.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital with 652 decompensated liver disease patients enrolled in the study.Data was collected on demographics,clinical history,and laboratory findings,including hemoglobin levels,bilirubin,albumin,prothrombin time(international normalized ratio),sodium,and creatinine.The Child-Pugh,MELD,and MELD-Na scores were calculated.Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26,and correlations between hemoglobin levels and severity scores were assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient.RESULTS The study included 405 males(62.1%)and 247 females(37.9%)with an average age of 58.8 years.Significant inverse correlations were found between hemoglobin levels and Child-Pugh,MELD,and MELD-Na scores(P<0.01),with the MELD scoring system being the strongest correlator among all.One-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in hemoglobin levels across the severity groups of each scoring system(P=0.001).Tukey's post hoc analysis confirmed significant internal differences among each severity group.CONCLUSION Understanding the correlation between hemoglobin and liver disease severity can improve patient management by offering insights into prognosis and guiding treatment decisions.

GATIS score:An innovative prognostic score for rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms

In this article,we discussed the article by Zeng et al,published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology.The publication represents a significant advancement in the prognostic evaluation of rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms.The GATIS score is a single nomogram model that incorporates five key progno-stic factors:Tumor grade;T stage;tumor size;age;and the prognostic nutritional index.This innovation optimizes the prognostic process,delivering more accurate predictions of overall survival and progression-free survival compared to tradi-tional TNM staging and World Health Organization classification systems.The findings of the study were based on a retrospective analysis spanning 12 years and involving 1408 patients from 17 reference centers in China.In this editorial,we specifically examined the strengths and limitations of the study,the clinical implications of the GATIS score,and the questions arising from its conclusions.

Predicting post-hepatectomy liver failure using a nomogram based on portal vein width,inflammatory indices,and the albumin-bilirubin score

BACKGROUND Post-hepatectomy liver failure(PHLF)after liver resection is one of the main complications causing postoperative death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).It is crucial to help clinicians identify potential high-risk PHLF patients as early as possible through preoperative evaluation.AIM To identify risk factors for PHLF and develop a prediction model.METHODS This study included 248 patients with HCC at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University between January 2014 and December 2023;these patients were divided into a training group(n=164)and a validation group(n=84)via random sampling.The independent variables for the occurrence of PHLF were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses and visualized as nomograms.Ultimately,comparisons were made with traditional models via receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,calibration curves,and decision curve analysis(DCA).RESULTS In this study,portal vein width[odds ratio(OR)=1.603,95%CI:1.288-1.994,P≤0.001],the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)(OR=1.495,95%CI:1.126-1.984,P=0.005),and the albumin-bilirubin(ALBI)score(OR=8.868,95%CI:2.144-36.678,P=0.003)were independent risk factors for PHLF.A nomogram prediction model was developed using these factors.ROC and DCA analyses revealed that the predictive efficacy and clinical value of this model were better than those of traditional models.CONCLUSION A new Nomogram model for predicting PHLF in HCC patients was successfully established based on portal vein width,the NLR,and the ALBI score,which outperforms the traditional model.

Efficacy-cost analysis of endoscopic mucosal resection and cold snare polypectomy:A propensity score matching analysis

BACKGROUND Although substantial evidence supports the advantages of cold snare polypectomy(CSP)in terms of polypectomy efficacy and reduced postoperative adverse events,few studies have examined the cost differences between CSP and traditional endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR)for the treatment of intestinal polyps.AIM To compare the efficacy-cost of EMR and CSP in the treatment of intestinal polyps.METHODS A total of 100 patients with intestinal polyps were included in the retrospective data of our hospital from April 2022 to May 2023.According to the treatment methods,they were divided into EMR(n=46)group and CSP(n=54)group.The baseline data of the two groups were balanced by 1:1 propensity score matching(PSM),and the cost-effectiveness analysis was performed on the two groups after matching.The recurrence rate of the two groups of patients was followed up for 1 year,and they were divided into recurrence group and non-recurrence group according to whether they recurred.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen out the influencing factors affecting the recurrence of intestinal polyps after endoscopic resection.RESULTS Significant disparities were observed in the number of polyps and smoking background between the two groups before PSM(P<0.05).Following PSM,the number of polyps and smoking history were well balanced between the EMR and CSP groups.The direct cost incurred by the CSP group was markedly higher than that incurred by the EMR group.Concurrently,the cost-effectiveness ratio in the CSP group was substantially reduced when juxtaposed with that in the EMR group(P<0.05).Upon completion of the 1-year follow-up,the rate of recurrence after endoscopic intestinal polypectomy was 38.00%.Multivariate methods revealed that age≥60 years,male sex,number of polyps≥3,and pathological type of adenoma were risk factors for recurrence after endoscopic intestinal polypectomy(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION CSP was more cost-effective for the treatment of intestinal polyps.An age≥60 years,male sex,having a number of polyps≥3,and pathological type of adenoma are independent influencing factors for recurrence.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy using indocyanine green attenuates postoperative inflammatory response for hepatocellular carcinoma:A propensity score matching analysis

BACKGROUND Improving the intraoperative and postoperative performance of laparoscopic hepatectomy was quite a challenge for liver surgeons.AIM To determine the benefits of indocyanine green(ICG)fluorescence imaging in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy during and after surgery.METHODS We retrospectively collected the clinicopathological data of 107 patients who successfully underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy at Zhongshan Hospital(Xiamen),Fudan University from June 2022 to June 2023.Whether using the ICG fluorescence imaging technique,we divided them into the ICG and non-ICG groups.To eliminate statistical bias,a 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was conducted.The comparison of perioperative outcomes,including inflammationrelated markers and progression-free survival,was analyzed statistically.RESULTS Intraoperatively,the ICG group exhibited lower blood loss,a shorter surgical time,lower hepatic inflow occlusion(HIO)frequency,and a shorter total HIO time.Postoperatively,the participation of ICG resulted in a shorter duration of hospitalization(6.5 vs 7.6 days,P=0.03)and postoperative inflammatory response attenuation(lower neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio on the first day after surgery and platelet-lymphocyte ratio on the third day,P<0.05).Although the differences were not significant,the levels of all inflammation-related markers were lower in the ICG group.The rates of postoperative complications and the survival analyses,including progression-free and overall survivals showed no significant difference between the groups.CONCLUSION The involvement of ICG fluorescence imaging may lead to improved perioperative outcomes,especially postoperative inflammatory response attenuation,and ultimately improve HCC patients’recovery after surgery.

美国KPS学区高中科学类课程设置现状及对我国落实科学教育加法的启示

课程是落实科学教育加法的主渠道。美国密歇根州卡拉马祖公立学校学区的科学类课程具有如下特点:强调有序衔接,夯实科学根基;多元供给服务,满足个性化发展;多方协同赋能,助力科学类课程学习。结合我国科学教育现状,该学区的课程设置特点对我国落实科学教育加法具有如下启示:科学教育目标以普及为本并兼顾培优;提升数字教育资源的利用效率与质量;全社会共同参与,探索联动共赢机制。

基于Z-Score动态压缩的高效联邦学习算法

联邦学习作为一种具有隐私保护的新兴分布式计算范式,在一定程度上保护了用户隐私和数据安全。然而,由于联邦学习系统中客户端与服务器需要频繁地交换模型参数,造成了较大的通信开销。在带宽有限的无线通信场景中,这成为了限制联邦学习发展的主要瓶颈。针对这一问题,提出了一种基于Z-Score的动态稀疏压缩算法。通过引入Z-Score,对局部模型更新进行离群点检测,将重要的更新值视为离群点,从而将其挑选出来。在不需要复杂的排序算法以及原始模型更新的先验知识的情况下,实现模型更新的稀疏化。同时随着通信轮次的增加,根据全局模型的损失值动态地调整稀疏率,从而在保证模型精度的前提下最大程度地减少总通信量。通过实验证明,在I.I.D.数据场景下,该算法与联邦平均(FedAvg)算法相比可以降低95%的通信量,精度损失仅仅为1.6%,与FTTQ算法相比可以降低40%~50%的通信量,精度损失仅为1.29%,证明了该方法在保证模型性能的同时显著降低了通信成本。

基于F-score和二进制灰狼优化的肿瘤基因选择方法

针对肿瘤基因数据维度高、噪声多、冗余性高的现状,结合Spearman相关系数改进F-score算法,在此基础上优化二进制灰狼算法,提出了一种基于改进F-score和二进制灰狼算法的肿瘤基因选择算法.首先,考虑特征之间的相关性,计算每个特征的F-score值和特征之间的Spearman相关系数的绝对值;然后,计算权重系数得出各个特征的权重值,依据重要性进行排序,选出初选特征子集;最后,通过收敛因子的衰减曲线和初始化方法优化二进制灰狼算法,调整全局搜索和局部搜索所占比例,增强全局搜索能力并提高局部搜索速度,有效节省时间开销,提升特征选择的分类性能和效率,得到最优特征子集.在9个肿瘤基因数据集上测试所提算法,在分类准确率和筛选特征数目两个指标上进行仿真实验,并与4种其他算法进行对比,实验结果证明所提算法表现良好,可有效降低基因数据维度,并具有较好的分类精度.

引入ESG框架的Z-Score业绩评价模式研究

本文结合当前企业可持续高质量发展的目标导向,构建了引入ESG框架的Z-Score业绩评价模式,以弥补EVA评价中过于关注经济利润以及BSC评价中过于关注企业内部治理的视角局限性。通过主成分分析法测度的关键综合业绩指标,在案例分析中证明了引入ESG框架后的业绩评价模式在实际应用中具有必要性和合理性。在传统业绩指标评价模式的基础上引入ESG框架来进一步优化企业业绩评价体系,有助于企业培育或强化适应高质量发展的业绩观。

中医药团体标准评价体系(SCORE-TCM)解读

本文全面解读了中医药团体标准评价体系(System of Consortium Standards Rating and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine,SCORE-TCM)。SCORE-TCM是结合定性与定量评价,全面评估中医药团体标准在制定主体、文本编写、技术内容、推广应用和实施效益等几方面特征的综合评价工具。文中详述了SCORE-TCM的构建目的、定义和构建过程,解释了评价指标体系中的各项指标,并对每项指标的评价材料进行介绍。本文旨在帮助中医药团体标准的制定者、第三方评价机构和其他相关方更好地理解SCORE-TCM各评价条目的含义,更有效地运用于中医药团体标准的自评价或第三方评价,SCORE-TCM将为《中医药团体标准管理办法》的贯彻实施,以及中医药团体标准的高质量发展提供技术支持。

Gustave Roussy Immune Score——结直肠癌患者的新型预后评分

目的探讨Gustave Roussy Immune Score(GRIm评分)在结直肠癌(CRC)根治术后患者预后评估中的价值。方法本研究共纳入2004年6月至2019年8月271例CRC根治术后患者。分析GRIm评分与CRC临床病理特征的关系。采用Kaplan-Meier法绘制CRC患者无病生存时间(DFS)曲线,生存差异行Log-rank检验;Cox风险比例回归模型分析影响CRC患者预后的因素;校准曲线和受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线检验基于GRIm评分的列线图的预测效能。结果GRIm评分与性别、肿瘤部位、神经侵犯、N分期、美国癌症联合委员会(AJCC)分期、白蛋白(ALB)评分和乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)评分有关(P<0.05);GRIm简化评分与肿瘤部位、肿瘤直径、癌栓、ALB评分和LDH评分有关(P<0.05)。Cox风险比例回归模型显示,GRIm评分是影响CRC患者DFS的独立因素(HR=2.546,95%CI:1.644~3.943,P<0.05)。包括GRIm评分的列线图对CRC患者DFS的预测能力优于第8版AJCC分期系统。结论GRIm评分是影响CRC患者DFS的独立因素,基于GRIm评分的列线图可以帮助临床医师有效评估CRC患者的预后,制定个体化治疗方案。

基于中心偏移的Fisher score与直觉邻域模糊熵的多标记特征选择

现有多标记Fisher score模型中边缘样本会影响算法分类效果。鉴于邻域直觉模糊熵处理不确定信息时具有更强的表达能力与分辨能力的优势,文中提出了一种基于中心偏移的Fisher score与邻域直觉模糊熵的多标记特征选择方法。首先,根据标记将多标记论域划分为多个样本集,计算样本集的特征均值作为标记下样本的原始中心点,以最远样本的距离乘以距离系数,去除边缘样本集,定义了新的有效样本集,计算中心偏移处理后的标记下每个特征的得分以及标记集的特征得分,进而建立了基于中心偏移的多标记Fisher score模型,预处理多标记数据。然后,引入多标记分类间隔作为自适应模糊邻域半径参数,定义了模糊邻域相似关系和模糊邻域粒,由此构造了多标记模糊邻域粗糙集的上、下近似集;在此基础上提出了多标记邻域粗糙直觉隶属度函数和非隶属度函数,定义了多标记邻域直觉模糊熵。最后,给出了特征的外部和内部重要度的计算公式,设计了基于邻域直觉模糊熵的多标记特征选择算法,筛选出最优特征子集。在多标记K近邻分类器下、9个多标记数据集上的实验结果表明,所提算法选择的最优子集具有良好的分类性能。

Role of albumin-bilirubin score in non-malignant liver disease

The albumin-bilirubin(ALBI)score,which was proposed to assess the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma,has gradually been extended to other liver diseases in recent years,including primary biliary cholangitis,liver cirrhosis,hepatitis,liver transplantation,and liver injury.The ALBI score is often compared with classical scores such as the Child-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease scores or other noninvasive prediction models.It is widely employed because of its immunity to subjective evaluation indicators and ease of obtaining detection indicators.An increasing number of studies have confirmed that it is highly accurate for assessing the prognosis of patients with chronic liver disease;additionally,it has demonstrated good predictive performance for outcomes beyond survival in patients with liver diseases,such as decompensation events.This article presents a review of the application of ALBI scores in various non-malignant liver diseases.

Current status of magnetic resonance imaging radiomics in hepatocellular carcinoma:A quantitative review with Radiomics Quality Score

BACKGROUND Radiomics is a promising tool that may increase the value of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)for different tasks related to the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,its implementation in clinical practice is still far,with many issues related to the methodological quality of radiomic studies.AIM To systematically review the current status of MRI radiomic studies concerning HCC using the Radiomics Quality Score(RQS).METHODS A systematic literature search of PubMed,Google Scholar,and Web of Science databases was performed to identify original articles focusing on the use of MRI radiomics for HCC management published between 2017 and 2023.The methodological quality of radiomic studies was assessed using the RQS tool.Spearman’s correlation(ρ)analysis was performed to explore if RQS was correlated with journal metrics and characteristics of the studies.The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05.RESULTS One hundred and twenty-seven articles were included,of which 43 focused on HCC prognosis,39 on prediction of pathological findings,16 on prediction of the expression of molecular markers outcomes,18 had a diagnostic purpose,and 11 had multiple purposes.The mean RQS was 8±6.22,and the corresponding percentage was 24.15%±15.25%(ranging from 0.0% to 58.33%).RQS was positively correlated with journal impact factor(IF;ρ=0.36,P=2.98×10^(-5)),5-years IF(ρ=0.33,P=1.56×10^(-4)),number of patients included in the study(ρ=0.51,P<9.37×10^(-10))and number of radiomics features extracted in the study(ρ=0.59,P<4.59×10^(-13)),and time of publication(ρ=-0.23,P<0.0072).CONCLUSION Although MRI radiomics in HCC represents a promising tool to develop adequate personalized treatment as a noninvasive approach in HCC patients,our study revealed that studies in this field still lack the quality required to allow its introduction into clinical practice.

Are we ready to use new endoscopic scores for ulcerative colitis?

For ulcerative colitis(UC),the variability in inflammatory activity along the colon poses a challenge in management.The focus on achieving endoscopic healing in UC is evident,where the UC Endoscopic Index of Severity and Mayo Endoscopic Subscore are commonly used for evaluation.However,these indices primarily consider the most severely affected region.Liu et al recent study validates the Toronto Inflammatory Bowel Disease Global Endoscopic Reporting(TIGER)score offering a comprehensive assessment of inflammatory activity across diverse segments of the colon and rectum and a reliable index correlating strongly with UC Endoscopic Index of Severity and moderately with Mayo Endoscopic Subscore(MES).Despite recommendation,certain aspects warrant further invest-igation.Fecal calprotectin,an intermediate target,correlates with TIGER and should be explored.Determining TIGER scores defining endoscopic remission and response,evaluating agreement with histological activity,and assessing inter-endoscopist agreement for TIGER require scrutiny.Exploring the correlation between TIGER and intestinal ultrasound,akin to MES,adds value.

Fecal calprotectin and endoscopic scores: The cornerstones in clinical practice for evaluating mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel disease

Managing inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is becoming increasingly complex and personalized,considering the advent of new advanced therapies with distinct mechanisms of action.Achieving mucosal healing(MH)is a pivotal therapeutic goal in IBD management and can prevent IBD progression and reduce flares,hospitalization,surgery,intestinal damage,and colorectal cancer.Employing proactive disease and therapy assessment is essential to achieve better control of intestinal inflammation,even if subclinical,to alter the natural course of IBD.Periodic monitoring of fecal calprotectin(FC)levels and interval endoscopic evaluations are cornerstones for evaluating response/remission to advanced therapies targeting IBD,assessing MH,and detecting subclinical recurrence.Here,we comment on the article by Ishida et al Moreover,this editorial aimed to review the role of FC and endoscopic scores in predicting MH in patients with IBD.Furthermore,we intend to present some evidence on the role of these markers in future targets,such as histological and transmural healing.Additional prospective multicenter studies with a stricter MH criterion,standardized endoscopic and histopathological analyses,and virtual chromoscopy,potentially including artificial intelligence and other biomarkers,are desired.

Preoperative albumin-bilirubin score and liver resection percentage determine postoperative liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy

BACKGROUND The success of liver resection relies on the ability of the remnant liver to regenerate.Most of the knowledge regarding the pathophysiological basis of liver regeneration comes from rodent studies,and data on humans are scarce.Additionally,there is limited knowledge about the preoperative factors that influence postoperative regeneration.AIM To quantify postoperative remnant liver volume by the latest volumetric software and investigate perioperative factors that affect posthepatectomy liver regenera-tion.METHODS A total of 268 patients who received partial hepatectomy were enrolled.Patients were grouped into right hepatectomy/trisegmentectomy(RH/Tri),left hepa-tectomy(LH),segmentectomy(Seg),and subsegmentectomy/nonanatomical hepatectomy(Sub/Non)groups.The regeneration index(RI)and late rege-neration rate were defined as(postoperative liver volume)/[total functional liver volume(TFLV)]×100 and(RI at 6-months-RI at 3-months)/RI at 6-months,respectively.The lower 25th percentile of RI and the higher 25th percentile of late regeneration rate in each group were defined as“low regeneration”and“delayed regeneration”.“Restoration to the original size”was defined as regeneration of the liver volume by more than 90%of the TFLV at 12 months postsurgery.RESULTS The numbers of patients in the RH/Tri,LH,Seg,and Sub/Non groups were 41,53,99 and 75,respectively.The RI plateaued at 3 months in the LH,Seg,and Sub/Non groups,whereas the RI increased until 12 months in the RH/Tri group.According to our multivariate analysis,the preoperative albumin-bilirubin(ALBI)score was an independent factor for low regeneration at 3 months[odds ratio(OR)95%CI=2.80(1.17-6.69),P=0.02;per 1.0 up]and 12 months[OR=2.27(1.01-5.09),P=0.04;per 1.0 up].Multivariate analysis revealed that only liver resection percentage[OR=1.03(1.00-1.05),P=0.04]was associated with delayed regeneration.Furthermore,multivariate analysis demonstrated that the preoperative ALBI score[OR=2.63(1.00-1.05),P=0.02;per 1.0 up]and liver resection percentage[OR=1.02(1.00-1.05),P=0.04;per 1.0 up]were found to be independent risk factors associated with volume restoration failure.CONCLUSION Liver regeneration posthepatectomy was determined by the resection percentage and preoperative ALBI score.This knowledge helps surgeons decide the timing and type of rehepatectomy for recurrent cases.

Systemic immune-inflammation index combined with pediatric appendicitis score in assessing the severity and prognosis for paediatric appendicitis

BACKGROUND Pediatric appendicitis is a common cause of abdominal pain in children and is recognized as a significant surgical emergency.A prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential to prevent complications such as perforation and peritonitis.AIM To investigate the predictive value of the systemic immune-inflammation index(SII)combined with the pediatric appendicitis score(PAS)for the assessment of disease severity and surgical outcomes in children aged 5 years and older with appendicitis.METHODS Clinical data of 104 children diagnosed with acute appendicitis were analyzed.The participants were categorized into the acute appendicitis group and chronic appendicitis group based on disease presentation and further stratified into the good prognosis group and poor prognosis group based on prognosis.The SII and PAS were measured,and a joint model using the combined SII and PAS was constructed to predict disease severity and surgical outcomes.RESULTS Significant differences were observed in the SII and PAS parameters between the acute appendicitis group and chronic appendicitis group.Correlation analysis showed associations among the SII,PAS,and disease severity,with the combined SII and PAS model demonstrating significant predictive value for assessing disease severity[aera under the curve(AUC)=0.914]and predicting surgical outcomes(AUC=0.857)in children aged 5 years and older with appendicitis.CONCLUSION The study findings support the potential of integrating the SII with the PAS for assessing disease severity and predicting surgical outcomes in pediatric appendicitis,indicating the clinical utility of the combined SII and PAS model in guiding clinical decision-making and optimizing surgical management strategies for pediatric patients with appendicitis.

基于SCORE-TCM的中医药团体标准抽样评价方案设计

目前,各社会团体积极参与中医药标准的制定和发布,特别是“十四五”以来,中医药团体标准化工作更是迎来了提质增效的关键阶段。深入评估社会团体发布的中医药标准质量,是推进中医药团体标准工作的关键环节和重点任务。前期已研制并形成了中医药团体标准评价体系(System of Consortium Standards Rating and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, SCORETCM)。在上述背景下,本研究通过专家共识法,设计了一套基于SCORE-TCM的中医药团体标准抽样评价方案,应用场景为对于特定社会团体发布的标准,或各团体发布的特定技术类别的标准进行快速评估。该方案涵盖了标准抽样、材料收集、标准评价、结果解读的完整流程,为中医药团体标准的抽样评价工作提供了参考方案。

Garg incontinence scores: New scoring system on the horizon to evaluate fecal incontinence. Will it make a difference?

The main aim of this opinion review is to comment on the recent article published by Garg et al in the World Journal of Gastroenterology 2023;29:4593–4603.The authors in the published article developed a new scoring system,Garg incon-tinence scores(GIS),for fecal incontinence(FI).FI is a chronic debilitating disease that has a severe negative impact on the quality of life of the patients.Rome IV criteria define FI as multiple episodes of solid or liquid stool passed into the clothes at least twice a month.The associated social stigmatization often leads to significant under-reporting of the condition,which further impairs management.An important point is that the complexity and vagueness of the disease make it difficult for the patients to properly define and report the magnitude of the problem to their physicians.Due to this,the management becomes even more difficult.This issue is resolved up to a considerable extent by a scoring ques-tionnaire.There were several scoring systems in use for the last three decades.The prominent of them were the Cleveland Clinic scoring system or the Wexner scoring system,St.Marks Hospital or Vaizey’s scores,and the FI severity index.However,there were several shortcomings in these scoring systems.In the opinion review,we tried to analyze the strength of GIS and compare it to the existing scoring systems.The main pitfalls in the existing scoring systems were that most of them gave equal weightage to different types of FI(solid,liquid,flatus,etc.),were not comprehensive,and took only the surgeon’s perception of FI into view.In GIS,almost all shortcomings of previous scoring systems had been addressed:different weights were assigned to different types of FI by a robust statistical methodology;the scoring system was made comprehensive by including all types of FI that were previously omitted(urge,stress and mucus FI)and gave priority to patients’rather than the physicians’perceptions while developing the scoring system.Due to this,GIS indeed looked like a paradigm shift in the evaluation of FI.However,it is too early to conclude this,as GIS needs to be validated for accuracy and simplicity in future studies.