Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) Overview
The Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) is a widely utilized, simplified version of the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI). It was developed to make the assessment of Crohn's disease severity faster and far more practical for everyday clinical use.
Why HBI is Preferred in Clinics
Unlike the CDAI, the HBI:
- Only requires symptom recall from the previous 24 hours, eliminating the need for a 7-day patient diary.
- Does not require laboratory blood tests (like hematocrit).
- Does not require complex mathematical weighting or a calculator to quickly sum up.
Remission and Severity Definition
The HBI focuses on five clinical items: general well-being, abdominal pain, number of liquid stools per day, abdominal mass, and extraintestinal complications.
- Score < 5: Clinical remission
- Score 5 - 7: Mild disease
- Score 8 - 16: Moderate disease
- Score > 16: Severe disease
Score = Sum of 5 clinical items (1-day recall)