COWS
Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
Domain
Substance
Items
11
Rater
Clinician-rated
Cutoffs
| Band | Score |
|---|---|
| Mild | 5–12 |
| Mod | 13–24 |
| Mod-sev | 25–36 |
| Severe | >36 |
Diagnostic performance
Sensitivity
—
Specificity
—
AUC / note
Withdrawal severity
Clinical notes
Used to time buprenorphine induction (typically ≥8–12).
Cutoffs and performance figures are pooled or landmark estimates and vary by population and comparator. Use only with appropriate clinical training. Not a diagnostic algorithm.