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CURB-65: community-acquired pneumonia severity

Respiratory & VTE

Guides site of care. It is a mortality score, not a diagnosis, and it under-calls the young and the hypoxic: always look at the oxygen saturation too.

What you enter

  • Confusion (new; AMT ≤8) (+1)
  • Urea >7 mmol/L (BUN >19 mg/dL) (+1)
  • Respiratory rate ≥30 (+1)
  • BP: systolic <90 or diastolic ≤60 (+1)
  • Age ≥65 (+1)
FORMULAOne point each: Confusion, Urea >7, RR ≥30, BP <90/≤60, age ≥65
SourceLim WS et al. Defining community acquired pneumonia severity on presentation to hospital: an international derivation and validation study. Thorax 2003;58:377-82ReviewedFormula and thresholds checked against the source on 2026-08-22. If the source updates, this line will say so.