Disease activity in paediatric ulcerative colitis; guides escalation in acute severe colitis.
The PUCAI — Paediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index is a GI & Liver scoring tool used in paediatric practice. Disease activity in paediatric ulcerative colitis; guides escalation in acute severe colitis. It scores 6 criteria and interprets the total across 4 bands, so the number always arrives with the severity it implies rather than on its own. In PediAid each criterion is shown as a labelled option with the weight it carries, so the total can be checked rather than taken on trust.
6. They are Abdominal pain; Rectal bleeding; Stool consistency of most stools; Number of stools per 24 hours; Nocturnal stools (any episode causing waking); Activity level.
The total is interpreted as: any score - Remission: pUCAI <10 - clinical remission; 10 points or more - Mild: pUCAI 10-34 - mild disease; 35 points or more - Moderate: pUCAI 35-64 - moderate disease. Optimise therapy and arrange close review; 65 points or more - Severe: pUCAI ≥65 - severe (acute severe colitis). Admit for IV corticosteroids; PUCAI >45 on day 3 and >65 on day 5 predicts steroid failure and should trigger second-line therapy planning.
No. It is a structured way to record and communicate severity. A clinician concerned about a child should act on that concern regardless of the total.
Total range 0-85.
Yes. Score definitions are bundled with the PediAid app, so the score computes without a connection.