For healthcare professionals
Caprini score calculator
The Caprini risk assessment model scores the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), meaning deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, around surgery. This page uses the 2005 version: age plus 36 risk factors worth 1 to 5 points, summed into five risk groups. It is written for clinicians and is not a diagnosis.
Risk factors
Choose the age group and tick each item that applies to the patient. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
What you will see
The Caprini score, the points for each item and the risk group: very low (0), low (1 to 2), intermediate (3 to 4), high (5 to 8) or extremely high (over 8).
Educational only, not medical advice. Not a diagnosis. The score does not detect a clot that is already present.
Source
Caprini JA, Disease-a-Month 2005 (original 2005 model, cited), with the items, points and risk categories as printed in Table 3 of the open-access (CC BY) paper by Yu et al., Medicine 2026. Validation: Bahl et al., Annals of Surgery 2010 (abstract). The tests check every item's points and each risk group boundary.
Validated in
Surgical inpatients. Bahl 2010 validated a retrospective scoring method based on the Caprini model in 8,216 inpatients from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program at the University of Michigan Health System, with VTE counted within 30 days after surgery.
Limits
Built for surgical patients; for adults on a medical ward the Padua score was designed instead. Several versions of the Caprini model are in use (for example, 2005 and 2013) and they differ in some items, points and risk group cut points, so totals from different versions are not interchangeable. The score sorts patients into a risk group for prevention decisions; it does not detect a clot that is already present and does not score bleeding risk.
Caprini scoring (2005 version)
Add the points for age and for each risk factor present. Risk groups: 0 points very low, 1 to 2 low, 3 to 4 intermediate, 5 to 8 high and over 8 extremely high (Yu 2026).
| Points | Risk factors |
|---|---|
| 1 | Age 41 to 60; minor surgery planned; history of prior major surgery (less than 1 month); varicose veins; history of inflammatory bowel disease; swollen legs (current); obesity (BMI over 25); acute myocardial infarction; congestive heart failure (less than 1 month); sepsis (less than 1 month); serious lung disease, including pneumonia (less than 1 month); abnormal pulmonary function (COPD); medical patient currently at bed rest |
| 1 (women only) | Oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy; pregnancy or postpartum (less than 1 month); history of unexplained stillborn infant, recurrent spontaneous abortion (3 or more), premature birth with toxemia, or growth-restricted infant |
| 2 | Age 61 to 74; arthroscopic surgery; malignancy (present or previous); major surgery (over 45 minutes); laparoscopic surgery (over 45 minutes); patient confined to bed (over 72 hours); immobilizing plaster cast (less than 1 month); central venous access |
| 3 | Age over 74; history of DVT or PE; family history of thrombosis; positive factor V Leiden; positive prothrombin 20210A; elevated serum homocysteine; positive lupus anticoagulant; elevated anticardiolipin antibodies; heparin-induced thrombocytopenia; other congenital or acquired thrombophilia |
| 5 | Elective major lower extremity arthroplasty; hip, pelvis or leg fracture (less than 1 month); stroke (less than 1 month); multiple trauma (less than 1 month); acute spinal cord injury with paralysis (less than 1 month) |
Source: Table 3 of Yu et al., 2026 (Yu 2026), which reprints the 2005 Caprini risk assessment model (Caprini 2005).
What the validation study found
In the Bahl 2010 validation of 8,216 surgical inpatients, VTE within 30 days occurred in 1.4% overall. By the study's four risk levels it was 0% in the low, 0.70% in the moderate, 0.97% in the high and 1.94% in the highest level. Risk level was significantly associated with VTE (odds ratio 1.9). Among single factors, pregnancy or postpartum, recent sepsis, malignancy, a history of VTE and central venous access were significantly associated with VTE (Bahl 2010). The study also found that lower adherence to prophylaxis guidelines went with a higher probability of VTE.
Related tools
For adults admitted to a medical (non-surgical) ward, see the Padua prediction score. When a clot is already suspected, see the Wells score for DVT for a swollen or painful leg and the Wells score for PE and PERC rule for suspected pulmonary embolism. For cardiac risk before noncardiac surgery, see the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI).
Sources
- Caprini JA. Thrombosis risk assessment as a guide to quality patient care. Dis Mon. 2005;51(2-3):70-78. doi:10.1016/j.disamonth.2005.02.003. PMID 15900257. Original description of the 2005 risk assessment model (cited, not reproduced). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15900257/
- Yu S, Li Z, Yang S, et al. A case report of pulmonary embolism following endoscopic cervical discectomy in an elderly patient with cervical disc herniation. Medicine (Baltimore). 2026;105(43):e51120. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000051120. PMID 42937735. Open access (CC BY 4.0). Table 3 (the 2005 Caprini risk assessment model: items, points and risk categories). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13706183/
- Bahl V, Hu HM, Henke PK, Wakefield TW, Campbell DA Jr, Caprini JA. A validation study of a retrospective venous thromboembolism risk scoring method. Ann Surg. 2010;251(2):344-350. doi:10.1097/SLA.0b013e3181b7fca6. PMID 19779324. Abstract. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19779324/
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-11-01. Spotted an error? See About.