Emergency Medicine

CURB-65 Score

Severity and mortality risk in community-acquired pneumonia.

Education and reference only. Not a substitute for clinical judgement, local policy or product labelling. Always verify before clinical use. Values are calculated in your browser and never stored.

When to use

Use in adults with community-acquired pneumonia to assess severity and help decide on hospital vs community management.

Why use

It is simple, validated, and recommended in UK pneumonia guidance to support the admission decision.

Advice

Score 0–1 low mortality (often manageable in the community); 2 intermediate; 3–5 high — consider hospital/critical care. Interpret with clinical judgement and social factors.

Evidence & references

  1. Lim WS et al. Defining community acquired pneumonia severity on presentation to hospital: an international derivation and validation study. Thorax. 2003.

About the creator

Lim WS et al.

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