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Professional Technical

CPIS

Also written as: CPIS — Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score

Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score - scoring system to diagnose ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill infants.

Full Definition

CPIS, or Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score, is a diagnostic tool used to assess the likelihood of ventilator-associated pneumonia in mechanically ventilated neonates. The scoring system incorporates clinical parameters including temperature, white blood cell count, tracheal secretions, oxygenation status, chest radiograph findings, and culture results. Each parameter is assigned points, and the total score helps guide antibiotic therapy decisions. In neonatal populations, CPIS interpretation must be modified due to physiological differences from adult patients. A score above a certain threshold suggests probable pneumonia and may warrant antibiotic initiation or modification. However, the score's utility in neonates is still being validated, as many critically ill infants may have elevated scores due to their underlying conditions rather than infection.

Usage

Usage note: Spell out fully on first use; primarily used in research and quality improvement contexts.

In Context

  • "The CPIS was calculated at 7 points, prompting initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotics for suspected VAP." — ICU consultation note
  • "Serial CPIS monitoring showed improvement from 8 to 4 points after three days of antibiotic therapy." — Daily progress note

Also known as

Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score pneumonia scoring system

Don't confuse with

APACHE score SNAP score

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