CURB-65 Calculator

What Is the CURB-65 Score?

CURB-65 is a five-point severity score for community-acquired pneumonia. It evaluates confusion, blood urea nitrogen, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age 65 or older. Each criterion adds one point for a total from 0 to 5. See also the COVID Mortality Risk Calculator for another respiratory severity tool.

Mortality and Admission Guidance

Scores of 0 to 1 carry low 30-day mortality and often support outpatient treatment. A score of 2 suggests intermediate risk and may warrant short inpatient stay or closely supervised outpatient care. Scores of 3 to 5 indicate higher mortality and generally require hospital admission, with ICU consideration at 4 to 5.

Clinical Use

CURB-65 helps triage adults with pneumonia but does not replace clinical judgment. Comorbidities, oxygen saturation, social support, and local guidelines also influence disposition. BUN threshold is 19 mg/dL in this score; some regions use urea equivalents.