Severity assessment and site-of-care decision for community-acquired pneumonia.
The CURB-65 score is used to assess the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and help determine the appropriate site of care.
The CURB-65 score assigns 1 point for each of the following: Confusion, Urea > 7 mmol/L (BUN > 19 mg/dL), Respiratory rate ≥ 30/min, Blood pressure abnormality (Systolic < 90 or Diastolic ≤ 60 mmHg), and Age ≥ 65. Total score ranges from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating increased risk of mortality and need for hospitalization or ICU care.