CURB-65 Score Calculator

Calculate CURB-65 score for community-acquired pneumonia severity, mortality risk grouping, and practical admission guidance.

Last updated on: April 1, 2026

Calculate CURB-65 Score

Select yes if new confusion is present.
Select yes if serum urea is above 7 mmol/L or blood urea nitrogen is above 19 mg/dL.
Select yes if respiratory rate is 30 per minute or higher.
Select yes if systolic blood pressure is below 90 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure is 60 mmHg or lower.
Select yes if age is 65 years or older.

CURB-65 Interpretation

CURB-65 is a bedside severity score for community-acquired pneumonia. It helps estimate short-term mortality risk and supports decisions about place of care.

Each positive criterion adds one point. The score is commonly used in hospital settings, while CRB-65 is more often used in primary care when urea is not available.

Risk Groups and Interpretation

Low Risk: Score 0–1. Low mortality risk, commonly below 3%, and outpatient treatment may often be appropriate if clinically suitable.
Intermediate Risk: Score 2. Intermediate mortality risk, often around 3–15%, and hospital assessment or supervised management is commonly considered.
High Risk: Score 3–5. High mortality risk, usually above 15%, and urgent inpatient management is generally appropriate.

Guideline Context

CURB-65 is widely used in hospitals for severity assessment of community-acquired pneumonia in adults.

Although some guidelines prefer PSI for broader risk stratification, CURB-65 remains a fast and practical tool for bedside use and place-of-care decisions.

Practical Workflow

A low CURB-65 score may support outpatient management in the right clinical setting, while higher scores increase the likelihood that hospital-level care is needed.

Clinical judgment remains essential. Oxygenation, comorbidity burden, sepsis, radiographic extent, and social factors may all affect the final management decision.

This page has been medically reviewed by Dr. Khoulah Attia – PharmD, Immunology Specialist.

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