Evigrade

CURB-65 calculator online: community-acquired pneumonia severity in adults

Severity score for adult community-acquired pneumonia. Components: confusion, urea >7 mmol/L, respiratory rate ≥30/min, blood pressure, and age ≥65. Guides treatment setting: outpatient, ward, or ICU.

About this calculator

CURB-65 is the British Thoracic Society clinical scoring tool for adult community-acquired pneumonia severity, developed by W.S. Lim in 2003. Used in emergency departments, general medicine wards, primary care, and acute care. Components (1 point each): Confusion, Urea >7 mmol/L, Respiratory rate ≥30/min, Blood pressure (systolic <90 mmHg or diastolic ≤60), age ≥65. Interpretation: 0–1 – low risk (30-day mortality <3%), outpatient treatment; 2 – moderate risk (9%), hospital admission; 3–5 – high risk (15–40%), consider ICU. The score is bedside-friendly and does not need extended labs. Not applicable in immunosuppression, hospital-acquired pneumonia, or pediatric patients. PSI/PORT is an alternative – more accurate but more complex to compute.

Source

Lim WS et al. Defining community acquired pneumonia severity on presentation to hospital: an international derivation and validation study. Thorax. 2003;58(5):377-382.

Formula version: lim-2003-v1

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