UpToDate includes interactive topics that allow you to enter the values in commonly used formulas to obtain numerical data, such as urinary protein excretion estimation or results for LDL based on the Friedewald equation for low density lipoprotein. There are also topics that allow you to estimate the severity of community-acquired pneumonia in a given patient based upon the presence or absence of major risk factors.
The following procedure provides an example of how to access and use a calculator topic:
- Click Calculators on the toolbar.
- Click All Calculators.
- Scroll to the Cardiology calculators section and click on the title of the topic "Calculator: Friedewald equation for low density lipoprotein (LDL)".
- Specify the total cholesterol, HDL, and triglyceride levels. Use the drop-down lists to select the appropriate units in each case.
The calculator displays the LDL level, based on the values you have specified. If desired, you can change the units in which the result is displayed by selecting a different value from the drop-down list. If you want to display the results to a different level of decimal precision, select the desired number of decimal places in the Decimal Precision box.
You can also access calculator topics by clicking on Calculators in the Table of Contents, by searching on the term "calculators", by searching on a particular subject, or by clicking on one of the links below: