A scoping review on the tools for assessment of Agni and its derangements including Grahani dosha

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the tools available for the assessment of Agni and its derangements, including grahani dosha. Methods: A review of the published literature was conducted online using PubMed, Science Direct, and Google scholar. The keywords for the search included, "Agni,", "Agni Bala," "Agni vaishamya," "Grahani dosha", "Assessment tool ", and "Questionnaire". The initial search retrieved 37 articles, of which seven were screened, classified, and coded for further analysis including their content, methodology as well as utility in clinical practice. Results: The review discovered four tools aimed at assessing Agni and three for diagnosing grahani roga. All were different with regards to the domains assessed, mode of administration, and methodologies in which they were developed. Only two of the tools for Agni assessment were prepared following proper methodology including the evaluation for their reliability and validity. The absence of a gold standard against which these tools can be corroborated is a major drawback, because of which these tools were neither subjected to stringent scientific validation nor evaluated for their clinical utility. Conclusion: None of the tools available for review could be deemed best at accurately detecting Agni and its dysfunctions. Two of the tools were developed adopting proper methodology, however, the feasibility of these in a clinical scenario has to be established with further studies. Additionally, there was no tool directed at assessing grahani dosha in specific disease states, which necessitates further research to develop and validate tools, especially in specific disorders.