Validation of a Measure of Physical Illness Burden at Autopsy: the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale

This article concludes that the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) score is a valid objective measure of the pyhsical illness burden. 72 completed suicides (aged 21-92 years) were examined by psychological & tissue autopsy. CIRS ratings (tissue examination) were highly predictive of analogous ratings based on historical data (75%). Historical ratings tend to underestimate physical illness at high levels of tissue pathology & overestimate burden at lower levels. (10 refs.)