CURB-65 Score Calculator
Calculate the CURB-65 score to assess the severity of pneumonia. Designed for healthcare professionals to support clinical decisions with transparent scoring.
Enter patient findings
Each positive criterion adds one point to the total CURB-65 score.
How to Use This Calculator
Toggle each criterion to reflect the patient's current status. The calculator sums the five binary indicators to produce the CURB-65 score, then highlights the recommendation most commonly associated with that risk tier.
Clinicians can cross-check the inputs with vital signs, labs, and history before sharing the simplified score with colleagues or including it in a progress note.
Methodology
- Use the dropdowns to flag either presence (1) or absence (0) of each criterion.
- Hit Calculate or wait 100ms after changing an input to recompute.
- The full guidance that was previously on this page is preserved in the section below.
Full original guide (expanded)
This calculator is designed for healthcare professionals to quickly assess the severity of pneumonia in patients using the CURB-65 scoring system. It provides a standardized method to determine the appropriate level of care.
Results overview
The score ranges from 0 to 5. Higher scores signal greater mortality risk and should prompt consideration of hospital admission (or ICU transfer when the score is 4 or 5), while scores below 3 typically support outpatient care with close monitoring.
Data Source and Methodology
The CURB-65 score is based on these five factors: Confusion, Urea level, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, and Age. All calculations follow the published CURB-65 guidelines. More detail appears in the original source.
The Formula Explained
The score is a simple sum of the five binary inputs:
Glossary of Variables
- Confusion: New onset of confusion.
- Urea >7 mmol/L: Blood urea nitrogen level greater than 7 mmol/L.
- Respiratory rate ≥30/min: Breaths of 30 or more per minute.
- Blood pressure: Systolic <90 mmHg or diastolic ≤60 mmHg.
- Age ≥65 years: Patient is 65 years or older.
How it Works: A Step-by-Step Example
Example patient: confusion (yes), elevated urea (no), respiratory rate ≥30 (yes), hypotension (no), age ≥65 (yes). Their CURB-65 score is 3, which often leads to hospitalization recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is CURB-65?
CURB-65 is a clinical prediction rule validated for predicting mortality in community-acquired pneumonia.
How is the CURB-65 score calculated?
The score sums the five criteria: Confusion, Urea >7 mmol/L, Respiratory rate ≥30/min, low blood pressure, and age ≥65 years.
What does a high CURB-65 score indicate?
A high score means greater mortality risk and may signal the need for hospitalization or intensive care.
Can CURB-65 be used for children?
No, CURB-65 is not validated for children; it was designed for adults with community-acquired pneumonia.
Is CURB-65 applicable in COVID-19?
Use CURB-65 with caution for COVID-19 because the disease has features that are not captured by the score.