Printed on 2/13/2026
For informational purposes only. This is not medical advice.
CURB-65 is a clinical prediction rule for estimating mortality risk in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). It helps clinicians decide whether a patient can be treated as an outpatient or requires hospital admission. The score evaluates five criteria: Confusion, BUN, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, and age ≥65.
Formula: CURB-65 = Confusion(1) + BUN>19(1) + RR≥30(1) + BP low(1) + Age≥65(1)
Disclaimer: This tool is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with questions about your health.
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CURB-65 stands for Confusion, Urea (BUN), Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, and age ≥65. Each criterion present scores 1 point, for a maximum of 5. It was developed by the British Thoracic Society to assess pneumonia severity.
Score 0–1: Low risk (~1.5% mortality) — consider outpatient treatment. Score 2: Moderate risk (~9% mortality) — consider short hospital stay or closely supervised outpatient. Score 3–5: High risk (15–40% mortality) — hospitalize, consider ICU for scores 4–5.
CRB-65 is a simplified version that omits the BUN lab value, making it usable in outpatient settings without blood tests. It uses only Confusion, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, and age ≥65. A CRB-65 of 0 suggests low risk.
CURB-65 does not account for comorbidities, immune status, multilobar involvement, or other markers of severe illness (e.g., hypoxia, lactate). It should be used alongside clinical judgment, especially in younger patients where severe pneumonia may not be captured by age-based criteria.