Sensitivity and Specificity of Diagnostic Tools for Thyroid Storm
The Evidence Does Not Support Your Question
The provided evidence does not contain sensitivity and specificity data for the Burch-Wartofsky Point Scale (BWPS) or Wayne's Index in diagnosing thyroid storm. The available literature discusses these tools' clinical utility but lacks the diagnostic accuracy metrics you requested.
What the Evidence Actually Shows About BWPS
Clinical Use Without Validation Data
The Burch-Wartofsky Point Scale is described as "a helpful tool in establishing the diagnosis of thyroid storm" but no sensitivity or specificity values are provided 1
The BWPS has relatively low specificity, especially in the setting of viral or bacterial infections, which creates diagnostic challenges for clinicians 2
A score of ≥60 points on the BWPS is considered "highly suggestive of thyroid storm" in clinical practice 3
The Fundamental Problem
Thyroid storm lacks a gold standard diagnostic test based on pathophysiology, so diagnosis and treatment response are made using clinical scoring systems like BWPS or Japanese Thyroid Association criteria rather than validated diagnostic thresholds 4
This absence of a pathophysiologic gold standard makes it impossible to calculate true sensitivity and specificity for these scoring systems 4
What the Evidence Shows About TSH Testing (Not What You Asked)
The only sensitivity and specificity data in the provided evidence relates to TSH testing for general thyroid dysfunction, not thyroid storm specifically:
TSH has 98% sensitivity and 92% specificity when used to confirm clinically suspected thyroid disease in patients referred to endocrinologists 5
However, these metrics apply to routine thyroid dysfunction screening, not the acute emergency of thyroid storm 5
No Data on Wayne's Index
- Wayne's Index is not mentioned anywhere in the provided evidence
Clinical Implication
Treatment for thyroid storm must begin immediately based on clinical suspicion without waiting for laboratory confirmation or scoring validation, as mortality rises significantly with treatment delays 6, 7