The Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) index designed in the late 1940s as an adjunctive tool to evaluate the activity levels of patients with cancer who were participating in cancer chemotherapy trials.
The KPS assessing ambulation, self care ability, activity level, and evidence of disease, is described as follows: (Measures of performance status for patients with malignant disease)
100- Normal, no complaints or evidence of disease
90- Able to carry on normal activity, minor disease symptoms
80- Normal activity with effort, some disease symptoms
70- Cares of self; unable to do normal activity or work
60- Requires occasional assistance, able to care for most needs
50- Requires considerable assistance and frequent medical care
40- Disable, requires special care and assistance
30- Severely disabled, death not imminent
20- Very ill, active care and attention required continuously
10- Moribund
0- Death