What is CURB-65 score?

CURB-65 score 

It is a scoring system which has been adopted for assessing the severity of pneumonia and stratifying patients into prognostic groups. It also dictates the management pathways.

CURB-65 score consists of a total of 5 features. Each of the features carries 1 point. Those are:

• Confusion (Defined as a mental test score of 8 or less, or new disorientation in person, place or time)
• Urea > 7 mmol/L (≅ 20 mg/dL)
• Respiratory rate > 30/min
• Blood pressure (systolic < 90 mmHg or diastolic < 60 mmHg)
• Age > 65 years

According to the points, the patients, suffering from pneumonia, are categorised into 3 groups:

CURB-65 score 0 or 1 (Group 1)

• Mortality low (1.5%)
• Likely to be suitable for home treatment

CURB-65 score 2 (Group 2)

• Mortality intermediate (9.2%)
• Consider hospital-supervised treatment; Options may include-
• Short-stay inpatient
• Hospital-supervised outpatient

CURB-65 score 3 or more (Group 3)

• Mortality high (22%)
• Manage in hospital as severe pneumonia
• Assess for ICU admission, especially if CURB-65 score = 4 or 5

Additional:

Antibiotics recommendation for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP):