| Name of the Instrument/Tool | Vasculitis Activity Index (VAI) |
| First Description |
Whiting-O'Keefe QE, Stone JH, Hellmann DB. Validity of a vasculitis activity index for systemic necrotizing vasculitis. Arthritis Rheum. 1999 Nov;42(11):2365-71. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(199911)42:11<2365::AID-ANR15>3.0.CO;2-M. PMID: 10555032. |
| Year | 2001 |
| Domains | |
| Concept of constructs | Disease activity |
| Population/Disease | Disease specific |
| Originally developed for | ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) |
| Other rheumatic diseases where can be applied (only if validated) |
--- |
| Additional population with no rheumatic diseases |
No |
| Language: Originally published in | English |
| Available in Language | --- |
| REFERENCE IDENTIFICATION | |
| Author/s | Whiting-O'Keefe QE, Stone JH, Hellmann DB. |
| Title | Validity of a vasculitis activity index for systemic necrotizing vasculitis. |
| Journal | Arthritis Rheum. |
| Year | 1999 |
| Vol | 42 |
| Num | 11 |
| Pages | 2365-71 |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Other references of interest | |
| No other References. | |
| Instrument/Tool Translations References | |
| No other References. | |
| DEVELOPER CONTACT INFORMATION | |
| Correspondence to | David B Hellmann |
| hellmann@jhmi.edu | |
| Address | Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD |
| Website | --- |
| Available | --- |
| Links | --- |
| DESCRIPTION OF THE INSTRUMENT | |
| Type Of Measure | Score |
| Brief Description |
The VAI is a weighted index of the diseases activity easured from 0 to 4 in 9 organs potentially affecting systemic necrotizing vasculitis (SNV); the objective of the reference study was to design and assess the validity of vasculitis activity index. |
| Number of Items | 9 |
| Range | - |
| Responses options/scale |
Yes 0-4 |
| Developed for | --- |
| PRACTICAL APPLICATION | |
| Method of administration | Physician |
| Recommendations to score |
The VAI incorporates 9 "direct" indicators of disease activity, assessed in 9 organ systems, and 3 "indirect" measures of activity: fever, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (FSR), and fatigue/malaise/arthralgia. The examining physician rates the organ system and fatigue/malaise/arthralgia components using visual analog scales in which the end points are no activity (a value of 0) and maximum activity (a value of 4). For each organ system component, the physician is asked to assess the degree of ongoing tissue inflammation that is present. Stable organ system damage present for >4 weeks should not be scored in the VAI. |
| Score Interpretation | Higher scores indicate higher disease activity . |
| Cut-off points | --- |
| Cut-off points applied to | --- |
| Smallest detectable change if described | --- |
| Smallest detectable change applied to | --- |
| Completion time by the patient | - minutes |
| Scoring time by the assessor | 1 minutes |
| Training to score | Not necessary |
| Strengths | Useful in clinical practice & research |
| Limitations | Not widely used |
| OTHER COMMENTS | |
| Other Comments | --- |